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Space-A Travel Guide: Everything You Need to Know to Take a Flight on a Military Hop

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Space-A Travel Guide

What Are Space-A Flights (AKA, Military Hops)?

Are you eligible for a space-a flight, how does space-a travel work.

1. Identify Your Destination and Possible Routes

2. Follow the Space-A Flight Schedules of the Passenger Terminals You May Use

3. sign up to travel from all possible starting locations, 4. mark yourself present within 24 hours of roll call, 5. listen for your name during roll call, 6. check your luggage and obtain your boarding pass, 7. board the aircraft and pick your seat, what to expect on a space-a flight, pros and cons of flying space-a, the pros: what are the advantages of flying space-a, the cons: what are the disadvantages of space-a, when should you use space-a, what would a seasoned space-a traveler recommend.

Update: On April 22, 2022, the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense lifted all restrictions on Space-A travel. These restrictions were put in place in March 2020 to limit the spread of Covid-19. Mask mandates and medical screening protocols may still apply.

Looking for a way to save money on travel ? Flying space-available (Space-A) on a military flight can be a fun and inexpensive way to see the world, as airfare to and from U.S. military bases can cost you next to nothing.

Flying Space-A on military aircraft is very different from using commercial air travel, and you can’t just call a military passenger terminal and book your flight. It’s worth learning how Space-A travel works so you can take advantage of this incredible privilege available to eligible members of the military community.

After military flights accommodate all required passengers and cargo, they often release extra seats to service members, retirees and their families. These eligible passengers can “hop” on the flights on a space-available (Space-A) basis. This is where the term “military hop” comes from.

Because these are military, not commercial, flights, the military mission is always the priority. You may fly on a commercial plane, but you could also be in a cargo plane or fuel tanker.

There are six categories, or “cats,” of eligible Space-A travelers, depending on their duty status and the reason they are traveling.

Those in lower-numbered categories receive higher priority for available seats.

Here is a summary of the Space-A travel categories, according to the Military OneSource website :

Cat 1: Emergency leave unfunded travel

Cat 2: Accompanied environmental and morale leave (EML)

Cat 3: Ordinary leave, service members’ relatives, house-hunting permissive temporary duty (TDY), Medal of Honor holders , and foreign military; also includes unaccompanied dependents of service members deployed for more than 365 consecutive days.

Cat 4: Unaccompanied EML; also includes dependents of service members deployed between 30 and 364 consecutive days

Cat 5: Permissive TDY (non-house-hunting), student travel, and post-deployment/mobilization respite absence; also includes unaccompanied dependents of service members stationed outside the continental U.S. (OCONUS)

Cat 6: Military retirees, their dependents, military reserve, Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) members and veterans who are 100% disabled

It is important to know your category when planning your Space-A travel because your category determines when you can sign up, what paperwork you need, and where you are eligible to fly. Table 3 in Section 4.11 of Department of Defense Instruction 4515.13 has more details on eligibility by category and approved geographical travel segments.

Eligibility Note for Veterans with a 100% Disability Rating :

According to the AF.mil website , “veterans with a service-connected, permanent disability rating of 100 percent will be able to travel in the Continental United States or directly between the CONUS and Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Guam, and American Samoa (Guam and American Samoa travelers may transit Hawaii or Alaska); or traveling within Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico, or the U.S. Virgin Islands on flights operated by Air Mobility Command.”

Disabled veterans must have a DD Form 2765, Defense Department ID Card (Tan), to fly Space-A.

The better you understand how to fly Space-A, the greater your chances of having a successful trip.

The first step is to learn which bases have regular flights to where you want to travel. This list of worldwide destinations where Space-A travel may be available includes profiles of some of the terminals and information about typical flight destinations. You’ll want to begin following some of their Space-A flight schedules, which we’ll discuss in the next step.

You may find several possible routes to your desired destination. For example, if you are on the East Coast and want to fly to one of the common destinations, including Spain or Germany, you will likely be able to travel from several nearby bases. Travelers from other parts of the U.S. may need to take two or more hops to get there.

The Space-A Travelers Facebook group can help you put together a flight plan to your destination. You can ask questions and find information about flying to and from specific locations.

You may have to combine Space-A travel with other transportation. For example, you may need to fly or drive to a base with regular Space-A flights to your desired destination. Or you may need to take a train or flight from an overseas base to your final destination.

The Air Mobility Command website maintains a list of all the military passenger terminals , as well as their contact info and links to their websites and Facebook pages.

You’ll find a 72-hour flight schedule for most terminals on their Facebook pages or the AMC website. The schedules include trip destinations, the number of Space-A seats and the “roll call” time. The roll call time is when terminal staff announces who has been selected for the flight.

You may also find information about recently departed flights, including how the number of Space-A seats and how many passengers competed for those seats.

Click here for more details on how to read the Space-A schedules on Facebook .

When you monitor the flights that depart from your target passenger over several weeks or months, you’ll notice patterns in the location and frequency of their missions.

Determine all the terminals you could depart from to reach your desired destination. You’ll increase your chances of success by signing up to fly from all of them. Signing up is free and takes only a few minutes.

The AMC website details the sign-up options, including the required information. You can sign up through their website, by email or in person at the terminal. You can also use the Take-A-Hop app (which costs $6.99). If you’re signing up for several terminals, email and the Take-A-Hop app are the easiest ways to do so.

The sooner you can sign up, the better, as priority within each category is based on the sign-up date and time. So sign up as early as possible. At most terminals, your sign-up is valid for up to 60 days.

Keep in mind that your category may affect how early you can sign up for Space-A travel. For example, active-duty service members (Cat 3) must be on leave before they can sign up. Those in Cat 3, however, have precedence over those in Cats 4 through 6, regardless of when they signed up.

You must mark yourself present at the terminal before roll call to let the staff know that you are competing for the flight. You can do so anytime within 24 hours of the scheduled roll call. Note: roll call times can change unexpectedly, so continually monitor the terminal’s 72-hour flight schedule to ensure you get there in time or, better yet, call the terminal to confirm.

Bring your military ID and any necessary documents, such as your passport, your leave form or your EML orders. If you are an unaccompanied dependent, you’ll need a memo from your sponsor’s command. Also bring a copy of your sign-up email as a backup to prove your sign-up date and time.

At roll call, terminal staff will announce how many Space-A seats are available for the flight and then the names of the selected passengers,  beginning with those in the highest-priority category.

If they call your name, go to the desk and confirm that you and any dependents traveling with you are present. You’ll need to show your military ID and any required paperwork, as well as ID cards for passengers older than 10 years old. For younger passengers,  bring their passports or MilConnect printouts that show the Department of Defense ID numbers.

If they don’t call your name, don’t leave the terminal just yet. Sometimes last-minute Space-A seats become available, so stay at the terminal until boarding time.

Once you and all members of your traveling party, along with all your luggage, must be present when the baggage check begins. This may be right after roll call, or it may be several hours later. You will need to stay in the terminal, as boarding times, like roll call times, can change without notice.

The AMC website’s FAQ page includes detailed information on baggage allowances. Because smaller aircraft may have different weight limits for luggage, it’s best to check ahead of time.

You will generally be allowed to check two pieces of luggage weighing up to 70 lbs each. Similar to many commercial flights, you can also bring one piece of carry-on luggage that fits under your seat or in the overhead compartment. You can usually check car seats and strollers, and they won’t count toward your baggage allowance.

AMC terminals follow the Transportation Security Administration’s baggage screening guidelines , so check their website ahead of time to see what you can bring in your carry-on bag, and what you must put in checked luggage.

Check if meals are available on the flight, as you’ll pay for these when you check your luggage. Some locations offer simple box lunches for a nominal cost.

If you are flying Space-A on a Patriot Express flight , your boarding pass will list your assigned seat.

When terminal staff announces boarding, you’ll go through security and wait in a secure area. With most flights, a bus will take you to the aircraft, and you’ll board from the tarmac.

On most Space-A flights, you’ll choose your seat when you board. On Patriot Express flights, your boarding pass will list your assigned seat.

Patriot Express flights offer amenities, including meals and in-flight movies. 

Other Space-A flights do not. Snacks and water may be available, but it’s best to be prepared and bring your own.

Seating depends on the type of aircraft. Some have seats that are comparable to commercial airlines. Others have web seating along the sides of the plane. If this is the case, you can stretch out if there’s room.

Patriot Express flights are climate-controlled, but other military aircraft are not. They are often cold or hot, so dress in layers. They can also be loud. The crew usually provides foam earplugs, but it’s a good idea to bring your own.

There are advantages and disadvantages to Space-A travel.

Space-A flights can save you hundreds or thousands of dollars over commercial airlines, which is a clear advantage. The only costs you might incur are a low per-passenger fee on Patriot Express flights, and you may be able to purchase low-cost meals at some terminals that offer meals for purchase.

When you land, you’ll be able to access base resources, including overnight base lodging and the commissary. You may even be able to purchase discount tickets to local events and attractions through the base’s Information, Tickets and Travel office (ITT).

Being able to stretch out on some aircraft can be another advantage over flying economy in a commercial plane. 

If you’re traveling with small children, you may also find that other passengers are more supportive than with a commercial airline.

And, of course, there may be a greater sense of adventure with Space-A travel.

  • Free or low-cost air travel
  • Access to base amenities (Base Exchange, Commissary, MWR, ITT, etc.)
  • Possibly more space to spread out compared to commercial airlines
  • It’s an adventure!

Space-A travel is less predictable than flying commercially. Passenger terminals post flight schedules only 72 hours in advance, and you won’t know if you got a seat until the last minute. 

Peak travel times, including summer, winter holidays, and even spring break, are even more competitive. You may need to be more flexible about when you travel and even where you’ll go.

You may incur other costs with Space-A travel, such as transportation to the base you’ll be flying from. You may need to wait for a flight home–possibly for days–and the costs of lodging and meals can quickly add up.

Finally, Space-A travel, unless you’re on a Patriot Express flight, is bare bones. You may find it cold, loud, and uncomfortable. 

  • Travel and schedules can vary.
  • Seats aren’t guaranteed — you must have flexible travel plans!
  • Travel can be difficult during busy times (summer PCS season, holidays, etc.).
  • Lodging, meals and transportation costs can add up.
  • Military aircraft can be cold and uncomfortable.

If you have the time, flexibility, and patience to wait for a flight, Space-A travel can offer you an adventure while saving you a lot of money. If you’re traveling for an event, such as a wedding, and must arrive by a specific time, Space-A is not the best way to travel, especially if it’s during the peak seasons of summer, winter holidays, and spring break.

Flying Space-A requires planning, patience, and flexibility. Learn as much as you can about the process, and also research desired destinations and passenger terminals so that you can put together a successful flight plan.

When you are ready to leave, make sure you always have a backup plan and ensure you have enough money to pay for commercial transportation if Space-A doesn’t work out. Also, be prepared for a multi-legged journey–several shorter hops that bring you closer to your destination rather than one long direct flight.

About Post Author

how to travel space a

Stephanie Montague

Stephanie Montague is the founder of Poppin’ Smoke , a website designed to encourage members of the military community to use their military benefits for travel. Stephanie and her husband have been traveling the world since he retired from the Army in 2015. Through Poppin’ Smoke, Stephanie shares everything they learn about Space-A travel and using military benefits while abroad.

See author's posts

Posted In: Military & Veterans Benefits

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ray maring says

December 29, 2023 at 9:17 am

Thank you for hosting this information. I am a guardsman, retired and are interested in traveling now.

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Poppin' Smoke

Quickstart Guide to Military Space-A Flights

A C-17 with a rainbow in the background. When you take a Space-A flight (mac flight), you may ride in one of these aircraft.

Military space available (Space-A) flights have been a major element of our strategy for saving money on our frequent travels since my husband retired from the Army in 2015. We’ve flown Space A to Europe, Hawaii, Alaska, Japan, Korea, and many places within the continental U.S.

I estimate that during our last 8+ years of world travel, we’ve saved more than $20,000 by taking military hops. Our experiences have been overwhelmingly positive, and whenever it’s a viable option, Space A (formerly called “MAC flights”) is my preferred way to fly.

Talking with others about our travels, we were surprised to realize how few military folks knew about Space-A travel, let alone had used it.

Even those who knew it was an option were reluctant to give military flights a shot. They had heard that you wait around too much, the aircraft have too many maintenance issues, or the flights are canceled at the last minute.

The bottom line is yes, those things do happen. Flying Space A requires patience and flexibility, and it’s not a good choice for all circumstances . But if you’ve flown a civilian airline lately, you know that all those inconveniences happen with commercial flights, too. The difference is, Space-A flights are free!

This Quickstart Guide explains everything you need to know about how to fly Space A. After reading it and following the related links within the article, you should be all set to take your first Space-A journey!

If you’re NOT new to military Space-A travel, you should still read these lessons learned from our experiences and our recommended strategies for having a successful journey when taking military hops.

* * * For a printer-friendly version of this Quickstart Guide to Space-A Flights, click here. * * *

This page contains affiliate links. For more information, please see our disclosure .

Contents (click to expand)

How Space A Flights Work

Space available flights, a.k.a “MAC flights” or “military hops,” are military operational flights that have extra seats. The military mission is the priority, and the Space-A passengers are essentially cargo.

There is no charge to fly Space-A except on Patriot Express (PE) flights , for which Space-A passengers must pay a small per-person tax.

Eligible members of the military community may “hop” a flight with open seats, but the system is based on priority.

Space-A Travel Categories: Who Can Fly Space-A?

Space-A passengers are divided into six Space-A categories or “Cats:” 1 is the highest and 6 is the lowest.

Available seats on the aircraft are first offered to travelers in lower-numbered categories. Any remaining seats can be used by travelers in higher-numbered (lower priority) categories. Priority within a category is based on signup date, as discussed below.

Passengers traveling on emergency leave are Cat 1 and are the highest priority.

In the context of leisure travel, active duty service members traveling with or without dependents on environmental morale leave (EML) are Cat 2 and on ordinary leave are Cat 3.

Unaccompanied family members of military personnel are Cat 4 or Cat 5 , depending on the circumstances.

Space-A Category 6 includes several different groups of passengers:

  • Military retirees
  • Veterans with a permanent service-connected disability rated as total (100% disabled veterans)
  • Surviving spouses of deceased service members/retirees.

All travelers must have a valid Department of Defense identification card to fly Space-A. A Veteran Health Identification Card (VHIC) or other ID card issued by the Department of Veterans Affairs does not suffice.

If you are a disabled veteran who is not retired from the military, and your rating is less than 100%, click here to learn about the travel-related DoD benefits you can use !

Important Note: Certain travelers within Cat 6 have restrictions on where they can fly Space-A.

Reservists , “Gray Area” retirees (retired members of the National Guard and Reserves who are under the age of 60 and/or not yet receiving retirement pay) and 100% disabled veterans who are not also retired from the military are not eligible to fly Space-A to/from foreign countries . They can take military hops within the contiguous United States (CONUS) and to/from Hawaii, Alaska, Guam, and other U.S. territories.

Surviving spouses are only eligible to fly Space-A within CONUS.

The geographic restrictions for travelers within Category 6 are summarized in the table below.

Category 6 Space-A Travel Eligibility

summary of category 6 eligibility for space a travel

Please note that the list of eligible passengers discussed above is not exhaustive. Other passengers, including certain civilians within the Department of Defense, are eligible to use military space-available travel under various circumstances.

For a complete list and more information on eligibility by category, view Table 3 in Section 4.11 of DOD Instruction 4515.13 .

Military Dependent Space-A Travel Eligibility

Dependents of active duty service members are eligible to fly Space-A without their sponsor under certain circumstances explained here .

Dependents of retirees, Reservists, “Gray Area” retirees, 100% disabled veterans, and surviving spouses are eligible to fly Space-A, but only when accompanied by their sponsor.

The following dependents and family members are NOT eligible to fly Space-A at all:

  • Ex-spouses of service members or retirees
  • A service member’s or retiree’s parents, siblings, or any other family members who are not the sponsor’s dependents

Dependent children can fly Space-A with their sponsor or eligible unaccompanied parent. They are not authorized to travel with other military families.

Pets may not fly Space-A unless they are registered service animals.

The Space-A Flying Process: How to Take a Military Hop

Here is a summary of how to fly Space-A. For more details, visit the Air Mobility Command (AMC) website .

1. Space-A Signup

The first step is to sign up with every military passenger terminal from which you might originate travel (including your destination). Keep in mind that you are not signing up for a particular flight. You are signing up to compete for any flight with Space-A seats at a given terminal.

You can sign up in one of several different ways:

  • Using the Space-A travel app, MilSpaceA (the app is no longer available for new downloads)
  • Through the AMC website’s online form
  • In person at the terminal

E-mail and the MilSpaceA app allow you to sign up with multiple terminals at once.

If you sign up via e-mail, you must include all of the information listed in the “Space-A Sign-Up Options & Required Information” section of the AMC website’s Space Available Travel page  (see screenshot below).

Screenshot of Space-A travel signup information on the AMC website

You can find current e-mail addresses for all military passenger terminals in the Passenger Terminal Directory below the Space-A Sign-Up section.

Priority within a Space-A category is based on signup date, so the earlier you sign up (maximum 60 days before your travel date at most locations, 45 days or less at some Navy locations), the better. Active duty members cannot sign up for Space-A travel until they are on leave.

| Click here for Space-A signup tips and examples specific to retirees (Cat 6).

Many terminals will not reply to confirm receipt of your signup. Remember to retain and print copies of the e-mails you send, because they serve as proof of your signup date.

If you want to confirm that a military passenger terminal received your signup, try calling them directly. Do not send another signup e-mail, because your place on the virtual list is based on whatever signup is most recent.

2. Tracking Space-A Flight Schedules

Track flights (also referred to as “missions”) from your desired departure base(s). Flight schedules and tentative seat counts are available up to 72 hours before a flight.

If you monitor flight schedules out of your departure base for several weeks or months prior to travel, you may see patterns in how often they have missions to particular destinations and how many Space-A passengers get seats.

Also, to figure out which bases have regular flights to your target destination, start with Poppin’ Smoke’s Space-A Location Guides .

Most military passenger terminals maintain a web page or Facebook page on which they publish flight information for the upcoming 3 days. A Space-A flight schedule lists the destinations, anticipated number of Space-A seats, and the “Roll Call” time, which is the time at which passenger terminal staff announce the names of passengers selected for the flight.

(You can also obtain information on Space-A flights and Roll Call times by calling the terminal directly. Most military passengers have an automated flight recording).

Many passenger terminals also publish data on recently-departed flights, including the number of Space-A seats released.

Click here for a detailed explanation of where to find Space-A flight schedules and how to read them.

3. Check-In or “Marking Yourself Present”

Within 24 hours of your target flight’s Roll Call, go to the terminal and speak with the staff to mark yourself present.

Bring your military ID, passport (if traveling to/from a foreign country), and any required paperwork, such as your leave form if you are active duty or the memo from your sponsor’s command if you are a dependent traveling unaccompanied .

You should also bring a copy of your signup e-mail in case the terminal does not have you in their system. Most terminals will accept your e-mail as proof of your sign-up date and time.

You must mark yourself present before Roll Call starts. As long as you have signed up in advance, there is no advantage to marking yourself present earlier than other passengers.

Arriving one or two hours prior to Roll Call is usually sufficient (closer to three hours for a Patriot Express mission if you did not yet mark yourself present), but in the 12 hours or so before your flight, check the schedules frequently to ensure Roll Call hasn’t changed.

| Related Reading: Lessons Learned from Flying Space-A Across the World

Many passenger terminals have a screen or printed document near the terminal desk that displays a list of passengers who are marked present and are “competing” for the flight. Make sure your name is on that list along with the accurate number of dependents traveling with you and your correct date of signup. If not, speak with the terminal staff.

4. Roll Call

The time listed on the Space-A flight schedule  is usually the Roll Call time. When Roll Call begins, terminal staff announce how many Space-A seats are available and read the names of the passengers selected. They begin with the passengers in the lowest-numbered (highest priority) category and work their way down the list.

The AMC flight counter for passenger check-in and Space-Available Roll Call at Travis AFB

When they call your name, go to the desk and confirm that you and any dependents traveling with you are present. Show your and your dependents’ military ID cards along with the aforementioned paperwork.

DoD uniformed services ID cards are required for all passengers over the age of 14. If you are traveling with children younger than 14 who do not have a military ID card, they must have a federal, state, local, or tribal government issued ID.

After Roll Call, you might go directly to luggage check, or you may wait several more hours, but you won’t know the schedule in advance.

At the time of Roll Call, you must be “travel ready.” That means you and any family members traveling with you are in the terminal with all of your luggage and required documentation .

Don’t plan on waiting until after Roll Call to go back to your hotel or return your rental car, because you might not have time.

Note: If you’re not selected during Roll Call, stay in the terminal, at least until the flight boards. Sometimes additional Space-A seats are released at the very last minute.

Virtual Roll Call

Some passenger terminals offer Virtual Roll Call (VRC) for select missions. In theory, having VRC means passengers do not have to be present at the terminal for Roll Call. When there is a VRC for a particular flight, that information is noted on the flight schedule.

With VRC, you must still go to the terminal within 24 hours of Roll Call to mark yourself present (and verify that they have your e-mail address). About an hour before the in-person Roll Call, the terminal sends you a “Roll Call Notification” e-mail.

If you don’t respond promptly, they take you out of the running. If you do respond, they eventually send you one of two e-mails: a “Flight Selection Notification” with instructions to go directly to the terminal to check your bags, or a “Non-Selection Notification,” which means you should activate Plan B ( always have a Plan B when flying Space-A!).

In our limited experiences with VRC, it has not worked quite as planned. We had to go to the terminal for Roll Call anyway. VRC is a relatively new process, so they may still be working out the kinks. In the meantime, showing up in person is the best way to ensure you don’t miss any communication.

5. Bag Check

When it’s time to check bags, you, your dependents, and all of your luggage must be present.

Space-A passenger luggage strapped to the floor of a C-17

On most Space-A flights, each passenger can check two bags of up to 70 lbs each. You can also check car seats, which do not count towards your baggage allowance.

Weight limits on some smaller aircraft are as low as 30 lbs. If you cannot meet those requirements on the weight-restricted aircraft, you are not eligible for the flight.

The AMC website has more information about baggage for Space-A travelers in their FAQs .

You cannot access your checked luggage during the flight, even though you may see it strapped down right in front of you. Make sure you have everything you’ll need in your carry-on bag.

| Related Reading: What to Wear and Bring on a Space-A Flight

During baggage check, you can request a meal, (if meals are offered — usually a box lunch with sandwich, chips, cookie, and drink), which costs $5 – $10, depending on the base. Make sure you have cash in USD and a card for payment. Some terminals only accept one or the other.

At this point in the process, you will also receive your boarding pass, which you should review carefully to ensure it lists the correct final destination ( here’s why ).

After you’ve checked your bags and have your boarding passes, you are “manifested” on the flight. Terminal staff will tell you the estimated boarding time, but keep in mind that it often changes without notice, so stay in the terminal.

6. Boarding

When boarding begins, all passengers go through security. Military passenger terminals follow TSA regulations, so you have the same restrictions for carry-on items as on civilian planes.

You sit in a secure area of the terminal until it’s time to board. At most locations, a bus takes you to the aircraft, and you board the plane from the tarmac.

If you are on a Patriot Express flight, your boarding pass will list your assigned seat. On other military aircraft, you select your own seats on a first-come, first-served basis. The crew may allow passengers with small children to board first, but not always.

At some point during the boarding process, crew members will offer passengers foam earplugs.

Unless you are on a Patriot Express, which has full in-flight service, most Space-A flights are “no-frills.” The crew provides water, and sometimes chips or cookies, but you must get those refreshments yourself.

Depending on the type of aircraft and how much space there is, you may be able to stretch out across a few seats or even sleep on the floor (see the section on Military Aircraft below).

Related Reading: How to Choose a Sleeping Mat for Space-A Travel

8. Arriving at Your Destination

After landing, you take a bus from the aircraft to the terminal, where you collect your checked bags.

Passenger terminals generally have information and phone numbers for local rental cars, base lodging , and other resources. You can also use UJ Space A Info to quickly search for local information related to military bases around the world.

If you’ve flown to a foreign country, you may pass through customs, or you may need to go to an off-site location to have your passport stamped. The process varies by country and base.

Use Poppin’ Smoke’s Space-A Location Guides to research the customs and immigration process at your destination. The Guides also have detailed information about lodging, ground transportation, and other logistics for major Space-A hubs worldwide.

When (and When Not) to Fly Space-A

So now you know how Space-A travel works when all goes smoothly. Of course, it doesn’t always happen that way.

There are many situations when flying Space-A is not the best option. If you are going on a short vacation (less than 2 weeks) with little flexibility or you are traveling during major holidays , relying on Space-A is risky.

Most experienced Space-A travelers also avoid flying Space-A during summer PCS season (late May through early September), particularly to OCONUS destinations.

In those situations, it’s better to plan ahead and try to find cheap military flights from airlines that offer discounts or use a site like Skyscanner to find the best commercial fares.

If you are traveling solo, you have a better chance of getting a seat, even during busy periods. Many other Space-A travelers are couples or families, and even if those groups are in a higher category than you, when there is only one open seat left, a solo traveler will get it.

Packing light also increases your chances of getting a seat. Some flights have baggage weight restrictions that will take most other passengers out of the running.

You can take some of the risk out of flying Space-A and boost your chances of having a successful trip by following these strategies and tips  and monitoring the Space-A flight schedules to make informed decisions about what flights are most promising.

How to Prepare for Space-A Travel

Knowing what to expect at the AMC passenger terminal and on the planes can help you have a more comfortable journey.

What to Expect at Military Passenger Terminals

Passenger terminals vary widely in terms of their hours, services available, and rules. Some have a USO, a snack bar, a children’s area, and showers, while others have little more than a check-in desk and a few chairs.

SpaceA.net (an unofficial site) has information on specific services available at each military terminal.

Most terminals discourage passengers from getting too comfortable and falling asleep. The chairs generally have fixed armrests that prevent you from stretching out across the seats. Also, there are often signs requesting that you not lie on the floor. Be prepared with a good book and plenty of activities for the kiddos!

Many military passenger terminals have WiFi, but it’s not always very strong, so remember to download any books, movies, or activities you may want ahead of time.

I recommend saving the contact information for the passenger terminals you anticipate using so that you have it handy if you need to call or e-mail with questions.

Finally, keep in mind that most passenger terminals are NOT open 24 hours, so you cannot spend the night there. Even if you arrive on an aircraft that has an overnight layover, staying in the terminal is not an option. Click here  to read tips and tricks for reserving base lodging.

What to Wear and Bring on Military Aircraft

Depending on the type of aircraft and how it’s configured, you have different considerations for comfort. If it’s a Patriot Express (a.k.a. a “rotator”), it’s simply a regular passenger plane. Most other Space-A flights are “organic aircraft,” a.k.a. military planes.

For all organic aircraft, three tips apply:

  • Dress in layers . It can be very cold or very warm, depending on the type of aircraft, where you’re sitting, and crew preference. We use this layering system so that we can easily adjust to the temperature. I occasionally see passengers (especially children) wearing shorts, but I don’t recommend it unless you have a pair of sweatpants handy.
  • Bring a small, inflatable mat and a blanket or sleeping bag . You can use an inflatable mat like this one to lie on the floor or stretch out across multiple seats. The blanket/sleeping bag is important for warmth.
  • Bring hand wipes . The lavatory sinks generally don’t have running water. Instead, there is a pile of antiseptic wipes, but often not enough to last for the entire flight. Bring your own stash  of hand wipes.

| Click here for a full Space-A packing list .

While you could fly on one of more than a dozen different types of DoD aircraft, the ones below are the most common:

C-5 : This is the largest aircraft in the Air Force. If the 72-hour schedule indicates there are 73 seats available, the aircraft is probably a C-5. Seats are configured just like a commercial airplane, but they face the rear of the aircraft, and you have more legroom. If the plane isn’t crowded and you are lucky enough to have your own row, you can stretch out (unlike in the passenger terminals, you can raise the armrests!).

C-17 : The first time we traveled Space-A on a C-17, all passengers were sitting in jump seats along the sides of the aircraft (facing the middle). With this configuration, you can lie down after the plane reaches altitude if there is room on the floor and the crew authorizes you to do so.

On our first flight from Andrews AFB to Germany we didn’t plan ahead and had to sleep on a wool blanket provided by the crew (it was still more comfortable than sitting in the economy section of a commercial flight).

Seats along the side walls of a C-17 with Space-A passengers aboard

The next time we flew in a C-17 with that configuration, we were prepared with a couple of inflatable pool rafts. The rafts provided much more cushion than the wool blankets and were pretty inexpensive. Unfortunately, they were exhausting to blow up and nearly impossible to drain and fold down to an easily-transportable size.

Now we have  this small easily-inflatable sleeping pad . It weighs only 18.6 oz, inflates with 15 – 20 breaths, and easily deflates to fit back in its carrying bag.

| Related Reading: How to Choose a Sleeping Pad for Space-A Travel

We also flew in a C-17 configured with regular passenger seats filling most of the bay. Some passengers chose to sit along the sides anyway, but we preferred real seats to jump seats. With that configuration, there was very little space to lie on the floor.

C-130 : This a prop plane, so it is noisier, slower, and bumpier than a C-17. It has the same open bay configuration with web seating along the sides. If there is room on the floor, you can lie down like on a C-17.

KC-10/KC-135: These are tankers used to fuel jets while in the air, and they may perform that mission with Space-A passengers aboard. The KC-10 usually has regular airline seats and about twice the passenger capacity of the KC-135. The latter generally has web seating along the sides of the aircraft.

Click here to read about our Space-A journey from Japan to Germany. We flew in KC-135s the whole way!

“VIP” aircraft (C-9/C-12/C-21/C-40): These aircraft have regular passenger seats and generally do not have space to lie on the floor. The baggage weight limit is often much lower (usually 30 lbs. for C-12 and C-21, 50 lbs. for C-9 and C-40) due to aircraft baggage storage limitations and/or fuel requirements to the destination.

Final Advice

Think of Space-A travel as an adventure. Along the way, you will meet other travelers who remind you how helpful and supportive the military community can be.

Hitching a ride with a military mission is a privilege and, for dependents who have never flown in a military aircraft, a very unique experience. If you think of your journey in this way, you will be better-prepared to handle any parts of the process that don’t go as planned.

Recommended Reading

If you’re looking for more information about flying Space-A, these articles are good reading:

Research Your Trip With These Space-A Location Guides

What to Wear and Pack for a Military Space-A Flight

Lessons Learned from Flying Space-A Across the World

How to get started with military Space-A flights. If you're a newbie, you need to read this post!

Space A Travel: Everything You Need To Know

Space A Travel

Julie Provost

What is Space-A Travel?

Table of Contents

Space-A is being able to travel on DOD aircraft for free or at a limited cost. The flights you take are on a space-available basis, and the number of passengers they take will depend on the flight. Space-A can get you to many different places worldwide, but some locations are more challenging to fly to than others.

When you fly Space-A, you have to do some planning and research. You must know which Space-A category you fall into and what that will mean for flights. You will need to make sure you are eligible and have all the right paperwork. You can travel with children, but you do need to be prepared for the whole trip, and that might be more difficult than flying commercially.

What Are the Different Categories for Space-A Travel?

Those who are eligible for Space-A typically fit into one of six different categories. These categories help determine how likely it is that you can fly.

Category I : Emergency Leave Unfunded Travel- For emergency situations only.

Category II: EML (Environmental Morale Leave) for Active Duty and dependents.

Category III: Active Duty Ordinary Leave- This category also includes those on Terminal Leave as well as their accompanied dependents, those on House Hunting Permissive TDY, Medal of Honor Holders, and dependents of deployed service members as long as they are deployed for 365 consecutive days or more. It is important to note that these dependents will be selected behind active duty members no matter when they sign up.

Category IV: Unaccompanied Dependents on EML or dependents whose sponsor is deployed between and including 30-364 days as well as DODDS teachers on EML during the summer.

Category V: Unaccompanied command-sponsored and non-command-sponsored dependents of active duty, permissive TDY (non-house hunting), and students.

Category VI: 100% disabled veterans.  Retirees as well as their accompanied Dependents, reserve, ROTC, NUPOC, and CEC. The DoD adds, “Surviving Spouses of service members who died while on active duty, inactive duty training, or annual training status. as well as retired military members, and their accompanying dependents.”

Can Retirees Fly Space-A?

Retired military members who are issued DD Form 2 and eligible to receive retired or retainer pay may use Space-A travel according to the Air Mobility Command Space-A official site.

RELATED : Disabled Veterans Can Now Fly Space-A

Are You Able to Travel Without Your Service Member?

Only eligible dependents whose service member is stationed overseas can travel unaccompanied and would do so as CAT-V, with some CONUS restrictions. Those whose service member is deployed for 30 days or more may travel unaccompanied anywhere that Space-A is allowed at a CAT-III, after active duty, or CAT-IV, based on how long they are deployed, as mentioned above. If your spouse is not deployed and stationed in CONUS, you can not use Space-A unless you are with your service member.

What About National Guard or Reserve Members?

At press time, Space-A travel is authorized for National Guard/Reserve components/members of the Ready Reserve and members of the Standby Reserve who are on the Active Status List.

What Do You Have to Do to Get On A Flight?

The first step is get authorized to travel on Space-A. This means starting leave if you are on active duty or getting a travel letter if you are an unaccompanied dependent. If you are a retiree, you should be authorized when you are ready to start the process.

  • Sign up and register at the locations you plan to travel to and from. You can do this at some terminals through an online form, in person, by email, or by fax. This signing up doesn’t mean you are on a flight or have an exact flight time. What you will be doing is getting assigned a date and time. This will put you in front of anyone in your category who has a later date and/or time than you do.
  • Sign up as soon as possible for as many places as you think you might go. If you are unsure where you will be flying from, sign-up for all potential places. You don’t want to sign-up too far in advance so that your sign-up expires before the date you want to fly. For active duty, you should sign-up as soon as your leave starts, and that sign-up should last until your leave is over. For non-active duty, sign-ups are valid for 60 days.
  • Each sign-up location is independent. Call to verify that you are signed up and carry a printed copy of your emails verifying you have done so. That way, you can show that you should be on any list you need to use to travel.

Showing Up for a Flight

  • Show up before any potential flight you want to take. Flights will get posted, and you can make your plan from there. You need to mark yourself “Present” for the flight you want to go on. This tells the terminal that you are there and will be ready to fly when the time comes.
  • When exactly you are marked “Present” doesn’t matter as far as where you are in line; the date and time of when you signed up does, but you would need to be marked present within 24 hours of flight time.
  • It is a good idea to get to the terminal, ready to fly with all of your bags and paperwork, about an hour before what is called “Show Time.” You would then mark yourself “Present” by checking in at the desk and wait until “Show Time.” At this point, you do not want to leave the area, even to grab a bite to eat. Times can change, and you want to be ready if that happens.

Show Time and Roll Call

  • “Show Time” is when “Roll Call” can begin, and it is about 2-3 hours before it would be time to fly. You need to be aware of when “Show Time” is supposed to start, as well as what time you would fly if you make it on the flight. Always give yourself extra time.
  • “Roll Call” is going to be when the date and time you “signed up” for that location and the category you are in come into play. With “Roll Call,” they start with CAT-I and go through all the way until CAT-VI or until they fill all the seats. For example, someone in CAT-IV, who signed up on June 1st at 10:30 am will be ahead of someone who signed up for CAT-IV, on June 1st, at 11:30 am.  All of CAT-IV would be ahead of all of CAT-5. They might just have 10 seats, or they might have 50 seats, it depends on the flight, aircraft, and how much space they actually have on the flight.
  • You will need to be right there during “Roll Call.” If you are somewhere else, and they call your name, and you don’t check-in, you will not make it on the flight. You will need to be travel-ready when this happens.
  • Being “Manifested” means you are selected for a flight, and you will be going on this flight unless the flight itself is canceled or you get bumped for cargo. This is where you want to be.
  • You can also be “Manifested Through,” which means you won’t have to compete for a seat on your second flight. However, you need to make sure you are “Manifested Through” to your end location. This, however, does not mean you have your round trip covered. You will have to compete for seats on your return trip.

How Much Does Space-A Travel Cost?

Many Space-A flights are free; however, if you take a Patriot Express flight, you may be charged a head tax and inspection fees. Bring cash for this flight, you may not be permitted to pay using a credit card.

You may also need to have extra money for possible stays in hotels, extra food, or even money for transportation. Because some flights get canceled, or it can be hard to get on right away, you might have to wait near the terminal for a few nights.

How Many Bags Can You Bring?

For Space-A, the nature of the mission determines how much baggage can be loaded. On some flights, you may be allowed to bring two pieces of luggage each, not to exceed 70 lbs.  For others, there may be a requirement for the bags to be under 30 lbs.

Where Can You Go For Extra Help?

  • The Air Mobility Command website – This is where you can read information about how Space-A works, sign up for flights, and more.
  • SpaceA.net – An informational site about the ins and outs of Space-A travel.

Other Tips For Flying Space-A?

The main thing you need to remember is that Space-A is going to require some planning. You will need to spend some time researching where you will go, how many flights they have, and how easy it might be for you to get on a flight. Certain times of the year are busier than others, and you must bring your patience.

Flights can get delayed for days. You might go through the entire process and end up on a flight, only to have to get off and start all over again because there is something going on with the plane. You need to plan for if your first idea doesn’t work out.

There are a lot of benefits to flying Space-A. You can see the world and can do so without having to spend a lot of money, but you have to understand that you will have to work for it. Some flights will be easier than others, and you just never really know what you will find when you attempt to fly Space-A.

If you need to reach your destination by a certain date, Space-A might not be the best way to get there. Unlike a commercial airline, you are not guaranteed a time and a place to fly. Being flexible and understanding is a must. If you can go into Space-A with that mindset, you can enjoy everything Space-A has to offer. 

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Space-A Basics

The Space-Available travel program is a travel benefit that allows authorized passengers to occupy DoD aircraft seats that are surplus after all space-required passengers and cargo have been accommodated. Space-A travel is allowed on a non-mission interference basis only. Space-available travel is a privilege (not an entitlement) available to Uniformed Services members and their dependents. The majority of Space-A flights are offered by the Air Force's Air Mobility Command (AMC) or the Navy and Space-A seats are normally free (there is a tax charged for AMC's Patriot Express flights). The most common destinations are in many parts of the USA (including Hawaii and Alaska), Germany, England, Spain, Italy, Japan, and South Korea. Less frequent destinations (some very rare) could include South and Central America, Africa, and Australia. Usually, the best time to obtain a seat(s) is when dependent children are in school. For more details, read on!

Basically, your travel status "category" is your priority. There are six categories (CAT-I thru CAT-VI). CAT-I is highest priority (first to get offered a Space-A seat) and CAT VI is the lowest Category (last to get offered a Space-A seat after CAT I thru CAT V). A GENERIC explanation of each category is:

  • CAT I: Emergency Leave Unfunded Travel

NOTE: Any Space-a passenger (including retirees) "may be" (no guarantees) upgraded by the local installation Commander (often delegated to the Chief of the Passenger Service) to no higher than the bottom of CAT-I for leave under emergency conditions (unfunded) or extreme humanitarian reasons when validated by competent and formal authority such as American Red Cross notification, unit Commander’s memo, doctor’s letter, or other evidence. Emergency upgrade period for initial departure is usually limited to one week. Passengers will maintain the origin station upgrade until they reach the emergency destination; on return, passengers will return to their original Category.

  • CAT II: EML (Active Duty and their accompanied dependents)
  • CAT III: Active Duty Ordinary Leave (including Terminal Leave) and accompanied dependents,, House Hunting Permissive TDY, Medal of Honor Holders, dependents of deployed service members whose sponsor is deployed 365 consecutive days or more (selected behind active duty members regardless of date/time of sign up)
  • CAT IV: Unaccompanied Dependents on EML or dependents whose sponsor is deployed between (and including) 30 to 364 consecutive days and DoDDS Teachers on EML During Summer
  • CAT V: Unaccompanied Command Sponsored and Non-Command Sponsored Dependents of Active Duty, Permissive TDY (Non house Hunting), Students
  • CAT VI: Retired and their accompanied Dependents, Reserve, ROTC, NUPOC, and CEC

If you are a dependent (sponsor stationed in CONUS and not deployed) then you are not eligible for UNACCOMPANIED Space-A Travel (except overseas for emeregncy) and therefore no Space-A Category). If you're not clear what category you are in you can find a more complete explanation of each category in DoDI 4515.13 , Section 4, Table 3 .

According to the regs, you can mark yourself "Present?" at anytime "within" 24 hours (some terminals that offer Virtual Roll Calls are 20 hours) prior to a Space-A Roll Call.  The time you get marked "Present" is not a factor in the Space-A selection process so around an hour prior to Roll Call is usually sufficient time to get settled before a Roll Call.  To mark yourself "Present" you need to arrive at the terminal with all travel documents (including your passengers) and proceed to the Passenger Service Desk and they will mark you "present."  Once marked "Present" you'll be added to the Present List and then can compete for seats at the Space-A Roll Call for flights heading to your desired destination.  If unsuccessful and your name falls off the "Present" List you'll need to get marked "present" again.  Some locations purge their "Present" List at midnight so make sure you inquire about their local policy.

NOTE:  November 2016:  AMC no longer allows passengers to mark themselves "Present" remotely The test locations were Kadena, Charleston, McGuire, Spangdahlem, and Ramstein.   Virtual Roll Call is still available at certain locations.

  • CONUS = The 48 CONtiguous States and the District of Columbia or "the lower 48, as they're affectionately known to the Alaskans."
  • OCONUS = Outside Continental United States
  • Overseas = Any country or place beyond the CONUS. Alaska, Hawaii and the U.S. territories are considered overseas under the Space-A Regulation.

Some folks use the terms OCONUS and Overseas interchangeably but the above are the official definitions.

A COMMAND-SPONSORED Dependent is a Dependent residing with a member at an OCONUS location at which an accompanied-by-dependents tour is authorized, the member is authorized to serve that tour, and who is authorized by the appropriate authority to be at the member's Permanent Duty Station. If you are stationed in the CONUS with your sponsor then you are NOT a command sponsored dependent. If your sponsor gets "deployed" OCONUS then that does NOT make you a command sponsored dependent. Here is a sample Command Sponsor Letter . A Non-COMMAND-SPONSORED Dependent is a dependent prohibited from traveling to overseas commands at Government expense. In other words, you are not on your sponsor's PCS orders to an OCONUS location (e.g. Korea). Here is a sample Non-Command Sponsor Letter .

  • EML is Environmental Morale Leave. In certain OVERSEAS locations, living conditions are such that leave must be taken in a more suitable geographic and cultural environment to accomplish its stated purpose. EML provides a means of expeditious travel for members (and Command-Sponsored Dependents) from an EML location to a suitable EML destination. Designation of an EML location cannot be based on adverse economic or cultural conditions alone. EML is not intended to compensate sponsors and their families for the high cost of living overseas, language barrier, or cultural differences. DODI 1327.06 is the DoD reg the governs EML.
  • The Pacific Command EML Program Document contains a list of authorized locations and here is the Pacific Command EML form used: USPACOM FORM 505/3 EF (07-10) .
  • The European Command EML Program Document contains a list of authorized locations and here is the European Command EML form used: EU FORM 1501.01 . As of 2017, CONUS may no longer be an approved destination for Unfunded EML.  See this announcement and check the current EUCOM regulations or your assigned command to verify EML eligibility.
  • Unfunded EML qualifies the sponsor (and accompanied dependents) for Space-A Cat-II (sponsor) or Cat-IV (unaccompanied dependents) and is only valid to and from the first authorized EML destination (e.g. CONUS) actually reached. Space-A travel beyond the first authorized EML destination (e.g. from western CONUS to eastern CONUS) to subsequent destinations would be as a Cat-III (Active Duty alone or with dependents). Unaccompanied dependents traveling as CAT-IV cannot travel within CONUS (unless manifested on continuing missions within CONUS as outlined under the FAQ "Eligibility" section). Return to the original EML location from the authorized EML destination is in the original EML Category (CAT-II or CAT-IV). The traveler can signup for Space-A on or after the EML start/effective date (listed on their EML form).
  • Government Civilians (e.g. DoD Teachers) and their dependents stationed at certain overseas locations might be authorized EML and travel Space-A to authorized EML destinations as outlined in the documents above.
  • WARNING:  Some locations (e.g. Osan) may require a Command Sponsored Space-A Letter IN ADDITION to the EML Form for unaccompanied dependents so it behooves you to have both.

That's Air Mobility Command's name for its commercial charter flights. Other nicknames/Acronyms for the Patriot Express are Pat-eX, PE, rotator or "Freedonm Bird" (to some old-timers).    AMC contracts a certain number of seats on charters with commercial carriers because it is an economical, efficient way of moving large numbers of personnel where they need to go. Charter seats not filled by official fliers are assigned for a small fee ( Head Tax and Inspection Fees ) to Space-Available travelers. The process for signing up for Space-A travel is the same as other military flights. Patriot Express flights have the usual commercial airline amenities. The flights are at least equal to the commercial economy class and, in some cases, a bit better. For instance, travelers on some flights can expect hot towels, free movies and headsets, and more leg room than found on most commercial airlines. West coast Patriot Express flights depart and arrive via Seattle-Tacoma International (SeaTac) Airport to Kadena, Yokota, Iwakuni and Misawa (also Yokota-Singapore).

East coast Patriot Express departures depart and arrive via Baltimore-Washington International (BWI) Airport and Norfolk NAS to Europe (Germany, Italy, Azores, Greece and Spain). For further information on the Patriot Express, read through the AMC Patriot Express Brochure . Note: The Patriot Express was reduced several years ago and as a result Atlanta IAP, Los Angeles, Rhein-Main AB, and RAF Mildenhall are no longer used as Patriot Express departure points. See the Patriot Express News Articles for more info on the history. Don't despair fellow Space-A travelers, even though Patriot Express flights have been reduced opportunities for space-A travel still exist on military aircraft to/from the usual military bases.

  • Some Passenger Terminals (the good ones) publish, post and keep current a fact sheet called an "AMCGRAM." The AMCGRAM provides helpful info about that particular location such terminal hours, long-term parking instructions, contact numbers for local lodging, rental cars and other amenities

"Show Time" is the time prior to scheduled aircraft departure that the terminal Passenger Service reps may start the roll call for manifesting (assigning Space-A seats). "Show Time" is usually 2 to 3 hours prior to departure. At, or sometime after the "Show Time", the Pax reps will do a "Roll Call" for the flight. "Show Times" can, and often do, change and may occur earlier than advertised so arrive early at the terminal!! NOTE 1: You must declare yourself "Present" (in person) to the passenger service reps at the terminal "within" 24 hours prior to the roll call of the flight you'd like to be manifested on. This is also a good time to verify your signup date/time is properly entered into the system. Declaring yourself "Present" lets the Pax reps know the number of people "actively" seeking a flight. When you declare yourself "Present" you are merely telling the Pax Reps that you have physically arrived at the terminal and you would like your name included in all the roll calls for your destination in the next 24 hours. Shortly before the show time, the Pax reps will post a list of those "Present" showing you exactly where you stand in the pecking order for that flight. If you fail to mark yourself "Present" and you physically show up for a roll call then you'll have to wait until all other Space-Available passengers marked present at the beginning of the roll call have been afforded the opportunity to compete for the open seats. If seats remain, the Pax reps will begin a new roll call starting with Category-I and then you will have a shot at remaining seats. NOTE 2: The above process may or may not be followed at ALL terminals. According to the reg, all space-available passengers competing for a seat must be ""marked present"" (in the computer system) at the beginning of roll call. Therefore, you need to check-in with the Passenger Service Reps at upon arrival at the terminal to declare yourself "Present" prior to a roll call on the day on the day of travel. Best advice is to show up an hour or two before a flight's show time and ensure you are "marked present."

  • The phrases "Roll Call" and "Show Time" are often used interchangeably because "Roll Call" can occur at "Show Time." A "Roll Call" for a flight can occur at, or sometime after, "Show Time." "Roll Call" is a phrase used to signify the beginning of the process in which eligible passengers in each category are selected by date and time of sign-up. ALL Space-Available passengers competing for a seat must be listed on the "Present List" and, expect for a Virtual Roll Call (VRC) be physically present at the beginning of the "Roll Call." The standard goal for AMC flights is to have the Roll Call no earlier than 2 hours and 20 minutes prior to scheduled departure time. Category-I, Space-Available passengers will be considered for any flight currently being processed even if the Space-Available roll call has already begun (roll call time passed) regardless of the current category being selected.
  • To start the "Roll Call", the PSA starts "calling" each Space-A category on the "Present List" beginning with Category I (Cat-I) and works down the list to CAT-VI until all available seats are filled. All Cat-1 personnel present will be manifested, then all Cat-2, then all Cat-3 and so on through Cat-6. Within each Category the seats are filled based on your date/time signup priority. If you are not present when your name is called, you will be passed over and seats offered to next on the list.
  • Space-A passengers shall not be removed for other Space-A passengers.
  • If the category/date/time of a Space-Available passenger has been passed, that passenger must wait until all other Space-Available passengers present at the beginning of the roll call have been afforded the opportunity to compete for the open seats. If seats remain and time permits, the PSA will begin a new Roll Call.
  • If a mission changes destination, the roll call will be started over.
  • If additional seats are released for a mission after the "Roll Call" is finished, the Space-Available call will continue where it previously ended. However, if the PSA had to pass over a family due to insufficient seat release to accommodate them and additional seats become available, then families that were passed over will have an opportunity to take these seats and then the Space-Available "Roll Call" will resume where it previously left off.
  • Category I, Space-A passengers shall be considered for any flight currently being processed even if the Space-A roll call has already begun (roll call start time passed) regardless of the current category being selected.
  • If anytime during the Space-A roll call, Space-R walk-in travelers present themselves to the PSC counter and seats are available, they must be given a seat ahead of any Space-A category (1-6) traveler(s).
  • Passengers must be travel ready at the time of "Roll Call"
  • "Virtual" Roll Call" (VRC):   "Virtual" Roll Call means you go on a list and do not have to be present for the physical roll call (you still need to physically go to the terminal to mark yourself "Present."   See http://www.spacea.net/faq/vrc for more details.

A VRC is just a process developed that allows you to be considered for seats virtually (e.g. at home, lodging, BX, Burger King....) without physically attending the traditional Roll Call in the terminal.  It may not be offered at all locations or on all missions.  If VRC is offered then it will be listed as such on the schedule.  The basic steps (slight variations may be implemented at different locations) are:

1. "Within" (not exactly "at") 20 hours before a Roll Call you need to go by the terminal and mark yourself "Present" to compete for any upcoming VRCs.

2.  Go home, take a nap, pack, jog or whatever and wait for the "Roll Call Notification" email.  You should receive that email approximately 45-60 minutes prior to Roll Call. If you don't receive the email then either the terminal does not have your correct email address or there's a network problem (on their end or your end).  The terminal is not responsible for network problems on either end - that's a risk you accept by using VRC.  If you don't respond (typically within 30 minutes) then you're eliminated from the VRC.

3. If you make the cut then you'll receive a "Flight Selection Notification" including instructions to "Check-in" and make a bee line for the terminal (needless to say you should already be "travel ready" (bags packed and a plan to get to the terminal in time)).  If you don't make the cut then you won't receive this email!

4. If you don't make the cut then you should receive a "Non-Selection Notification" email.  Try again just like a normal Roll Call.

5. NOTE:   AMC is not be responsible for personal Email or Internet connectivity issues. Failure to respond to the VRC email notification will result in a non-selection for the VRC Roll Call. If you have not received a VRC notification Email 45 minutes prior to your desired VRC Roll Call then you need to call or stop by the Passenger Terminal to ensure you are competing for your desired flight's Roll Call.

  • The following locations offer VRC (as of October 2016): 
  • CONUS:  Charleston.   Mcguire no longer offers VRC.
  • Overseas:  Hickam, Kadena, Osan, Spangdahlem, Yokota

Here is the AMC Virtual Roll Call Brochure

If you're selected for a flight, you're "manifested" on that flight - in other words, you made the cut and have a seat (pending being bumped for cargo if needed) to the flight's destination. You cannot be manifested round-trip back to your originating location.

"Manifested through" an en route location means that you would not have to compete for seats with other passengers at an en route location. For example, consider a mission traveling from Jackson, MS though Andrews AFB (where it will RON) and then continue on to Ramstein AB the following day. If you are only manifested as far as Andrews AFB then you would have to re-compete for seats to get manifested on that same mission/plane for travel onward to Ramstein AB. However, if the folks at Jackson "manifest you "through" Andrews to Ramstein AB then your seat on that mission is reserved (subject to bumping of course) through to Ramstein and you would NOT have to re-compete with passengers desiring to join that mission at Andrews. You cannot be "manifested through" round-trip back to your originating location.  Finally, don't make the mistake of thinking that declaring your "Final Destination" means that you'll be "manifested through" to your "Final Destination."

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  • General Military Questions

Space-A Flights: 7 Things You Need to Know

space a flight

One of the most beneficial services available to military service members is Space-A (Space Available) travel.

Sadly, it is not used nearly as much as it could be because of the mystery of how to use it, the requirements and people just not knowing about it.

So, what are Space-A Flights?

Related Article – Air Force Flight Attendant (1A6X1): Career Details

Table of Contents

What Are Space A (Available) Flights?

space a travel

Space-A flights are low-cost or free flights for service members, retirees, and their family members on military aircraft based on the “Space Available” on the flight.

Basically, the military has many flights each week to support its mission worldwide.

Some flights, such as the Patriot Express, leave from Seattle, Washington, to the Asia Pacific, are like commercial flights, while others are on tactical aircraft.

With Space-A flights, you need to be flexible with your travel timelines, and there are a few documents that need to be filled out.

Additionally, there are other obstacles you may face, such as your travel eligibility and seat priority.

I have compiled a list of 7 things you need to know about Space-A Flights to demystify the process and get you traveling on a budget.

#1. Process

The process for applying for Space-A flights is pretty simple, but there are a few things that you need to consider to take full advantage of the program.

There are six travel eligibility categories that you must fall under to use Space-A.

Each travel category has a priority assigned to it, and they will ticket passengers based on available seats and their priority.

You should review the available destinations from your local AMC Passenger Terminal.

There are 16 CONUS locations and many more worldwide.

Luckily, most passenger terminals now have Facebook pages with their 72-hour flight schedules.

The locations can be found at AMC Travel Site at the bottom of the page.

Specific documents are required based on the location you want to travel to.

Documents include passports, leave forms, unaccompanied dependent forms, visas, military orders, travel request forms, and other AMC-required forms.

Dependents 10 years old or older also must possess a valid military ID.

Always contact your local AMC Terminal ahead of time to ensure you have everything, or they will turn you away even if a seat is available.

You will always register with the AMC terminal that you will use since HQ AMC is not a part of the sign-up process.

This includes the terminal you are departing from and the location you are returning from.

So, make sure you contact both terminals.

This can be done via email, in person, or through the Space-A Travel Registration form: Space Available Email Sign-up Form .

The form is good for 60 days or until your leave expires.

Active duty service members must be on a leave status throughout the process.

If you do not receive a confirmation email, please get in touch with the terminal directly and provide them with a copy of your request form.

Flight Schedule

After registering for a flight, make sure you continue to monitor the schedule through the AMC Passenger Terminal Facebook page and make sure you are present when the roll call is conducted.

#2. Travel Eligibility

space a flights near me

Now that we have reviewed the process, let us discuss the travel eligibility categories.

Category I passengers have the highest priority, while Category VI passengers are the lowest.

Category I – Emergency Leave Unfunded Travel.

It is reserved for emergency travel when an immediate family member is seriously ill, passed away, or impending death.

Category II – Accompanied Environmental and Morale Leave.

EML is divided into two categories: Unfunded (UEML) and Funded (FEML).

UEML uses military aircraft, while FEML uses commercial transportation because military aircraft are unavailable.

Service members must be assigned to specific overseas installations to apply for this.

Category III – Ordinary Leave, Relatives, House Hunting Permissive TDY, MOH Holders & Foreign Military

Most service members will fall under Category III because it is used for leave, house hunting, dependents when a member is deployed for more than 365 days, and dependents who are accompanied by the service member to and from overseas locations.

Category IV – Unaccompanied EML

It is like Category II, except it is used for dependents of military members who are deployed for over 30 consecutive days.

Category V – Permissive TDY (Non-House Hunting), Students, Dependents, Post Deployment/Mobilization Respite Absence & Others

Unaccompanied command-sponsored dependents, students whose service member is stationed in Hawaii or Alaska, and military members traveling on permissive TDY orders.

Category VI – Retirees, Reservists, 100% Disabled Veterans, and Surviving Spouses of Deceased Service Members/Retirees

Category VI is the lowest priority for Space-A travel and includes National Guard and Reservists, retired military members and their spouses when accompanied, 100% disabled veterans, and surviving spouses.

#3. How to Look for A Flight

Your best source for flight information is through the AMC Passenger Terminal.

Their Facebook pages contain the 72-hour flight schedules, including the roll call times and the seats available.

The terminal may also provide additional flight schedules outside of the 72-hour window.

When flying from Seattle to Okinawa, Japan, for example, they provided me with a schedule past the 72-hour window.

#4. Preparing for Your Flight

2 citizens looking at space a flights schedule

Having all your paperwork on point is essential to fly Space-A.

Review all your paperwork, make sure any forms filled out by the service member’s command are signed by the appropriate commander level, and have all of your passports available.

AMC will not accept the paperwork if a form is not signed by the appropriate command level.

Family Members and DoD civilians on official travel to Germany, Japan, and the Republic of Korea must have a Special Issuance Passport (SIP) or apply for one and have a regular tourist passport if the SIP is unavailable before travel.

#5. Pros and Cons of Space-A Travel

There are many advantages to traveling Space-A, but there are a few things to consider when applying for it.

Advantages of Space-A Travel

The most significant advantage is that Space-A is free except for traveling on the Patriot Express, where you pay a small fee.

The Patriot Express is like a commercial flight, where you will have a standard seat, food and drink services, and in-flight entertainment.

Disadvantages of Space-A Travel

Nothing is guaranteed with military travel.

Schedules change constantly, flights get canceled at a moment’s notice, and the process can be time-consuming.

When you sign up for Space-A travel, you are not signing up for a seat, but rather, you are signing up for the opportunity for a seat.

You may show up for your flight and wait several hours to be told that you have not been accepted because of the space available and your priority.

Do not expect your flight to be smooth on military aircraft; it may be loud, hot, cold, or the seat may not be comfortable.

Even if you can fly to a location, it does not guarantee a flight back because of availability and priority.

#6. Traveling Without Sponsor

space-a travel

Many people do not know that a dependent over 18 can fly Space-A without their sponsor.

You first need a letter from the sponsor’s command authorizing you or your dependent to fly Space-A.

The following categories allow you to fly Space-A without a sponsor:

  • Deployed Sponsor: Over 30 consecutive days or 365 days for category III.
  • Unfunded Environmental and Morale Leave: Available based on location.
  • Command Sponsored Dependent: The dependent and sponsor are stationed overseas. Not authorized CONUS to CONUS.
  • Non-Command Sponsored Dependent: The Sponsor is stationed overseas, and the dependent is not.

Don’t hesitate to get in touch with your local AMC Terminal for more information if you have any questions or concerns.

#7. Other Things to Know

There are a few miscellaneous things to consider when using Space-A to ensure you are properly prepared for your trip.

Pets are only authorized for PCS moves, and aircraft have minimal space.

I can speak from my experience of traveling to Japan with my dog.

Since Japan is a rabies-free country, there are many different forms and vet visits you need to complete to have your animal come to Japan.

The process should start several months before the PCS date and include a quarantine period for your furry friend.

Even if you make it to your destination, you may not have a flight back.

When planning your trip, ensure you have enough money for a return flight, lodging, and food.

I would also suggest packing a small jacket in your carry-on if it gets cold.

Non-Patriot Express flights do not have food or drink services, so bring some snacks and beverages.

Also, if you have children, bring some entertainment, such as a few downloaded movies.

Space-A travel is an excellent benefit that you can enjoy to explore the world.

You will have an excellent trip with proper planning and expectation management.

Paperwork and timeliness are king for AMC Passenger Travel Terminals.

Get your paperwork completed and submitted and show up on time, and you will have a smooth trip if space is available for your flight based on your category.

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Related articles you might be interested in:, 2 replies to “ space-a flights: 7 things you need to know ”.

Thanks! I’m a medically retired disabled veteran, and have always “known” about these flights but never really looked into them, nor knew anything about them. If I had known EVEN PART of the information you provided, I’d have had my wife and son join me when I was in Korea, instead of flying back to the states. I now plan on trying to utilize them for my wife and myself, but since it seems that I’m now the lowest category, I might just have to be a bit more patient/flexible than I’d be otherwise…but free/low-cost flights? Yes, please. I wish I’d have seen this article YEARS ago. Thanks again!

No problem Chad, glad to help!

Rob V. OMK Owner / Founder

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The Military Wife and Mom

Parenting and motherhood in the midst of military life

The Ultimate Guide to Space-Available Military Travel

Tired of piecing together information about space-available military travel? Check out this ultimate guide to Space-A and get it all in one convenient spot! 

Inside: Tired of piecing together information about space-available military travel? Check out this ultimate guide to Space-A and get it all in one convenient spot!

You’ve heard about this thing called Space Available Military Travel (aka Space-A). It sounds cool, because hey, free flights, right? But it seems kind of daunting, because you have no idea what the rules are or how to get started.

Sound familiar? If you’re wondering how you can take advantage of this opportunity as a military spouse, here’s a primer to help you understand the who, what, where, and how of Space-A flying.

What is Space Available Military Travel?

Space-A travel is a privilege available to members of the community that allows us to fly free (or nearly free) on military aircraft. As Space-A passengers, we are essentially hitching a ride (or “taking a hop,” as flying Space-A is often called) on a flight that is deemed a military mission.

Tired of piecing together information about space-available military travel? Check out this ultimate guide to Space-A and get it all in one convenient spot! 

After all equipment and personnel required for the mission have been accommodated, any leftover seats may be used by Space-A passengers. Flights are entirely dependent on the mission, and the mission is the priority 100% of the time.

To put it bluntly, Space-A passengers are non-essential cargo.

Who Can Fly Space-A?

The Air Mobility Command (AMC) has a detailed summary of who is eligible to fly Space-A and under what circumstances. Space-A travelers are divided into six categories or “Cats,” based on their duty status and reason for travel. Travelers in Cat 1 are highest priority and those in Cat 6 are lowest. In other words, Space-A passengers in Cat 1 are most likely to get a seat.

I’m going to take a stab that you’re most interested in leisure travel for active duty service members and their family members, so we’re talking about travelers in the following categories:

  • Active duty service members on leave traveling with or without dependents
  • Spouses of active duty service members deployed for 365 or more consecutive days.
  • Spouses of active duty service members deployed between 30 and 364 consecutive days
  • Spouses of active duty service members stationed abroad traveling unaccompanied on Environmental and Morale Leave (EML) orders
  • Unaccompanied command-sponsored spouses of service members stationed OCONUS
  • Unaccompanied non-command sponsored spouses of service members stationed OCONUS

Where Can I Fly Space-A?

Depending on your category, you may be able to fly Space-A to any destination in the world to which a military mission is accepting Space-A passengers. In most cases, that means to a U.S. military base, but there are exceptions, including Patriot Express flights. There may also be a random flight to an airport or country where the U.S. does not have any military bases, but those flights are not the norm.

Before we move on, let’s clarify a few terms to make sense of this. The continental United States (CONUS) refers to the lower 48 states. Outside the continental United States (OCONUS) refers to foreign countries, Alaska, Hawaii, and other U.S. territories.

How Can I Fly Space-A Without My Sponsor?

If your sponsor is deployed (i.e. you are Cat 3 or 4), all you need is a memo from his command ( here is a sample memo ). You can travel wherever and whenever you want starting from the day your sponsor deploys throughout the duration of his deployment. Hold onto that memo, and bring it with you whenever you travel; it’s good through the whole deployment.

Tired of piecing together information about space-available military travel? Check out this ultimate guide to Space-A and get it all in one convenient spot! 

Travel for unaccompanied spouses in other situations has a few more restrictions.

If you are stationed overseas with your spouse (i.e. an accompanied tour of duty) and you are traveling as a Cat 5, you can only travel from OCONUS to OCONUS and between OCONUS and CONUS. In other words, you can’t take Space-A flights from one place in the lower 48 to another. The exception to that rule is if you are booked (a.k.a. “manifested”) on a flight to or from OCONUS that stops in another CONUS destination along the way. Here is a sample   of the command-sponsored dependent memo you must obtain from your sponsor’s command. It’s good for 90 days or one round trip originating from the overseas duty station.

If you are stationed overseas in a location that allows EML, you can travel as a Cat 4 (i.e. higher priority) if you get an EML memo, but your travel will be restricted. You can only fly between you sponsor’s duty station and CONUS. You must take the most direct route possible. Here are sample EML memos from   Pacific Command and Europe Command .

The final circumstance is if your sponsor is on an unaccompanied tour overseas (i.e. you are a non-command-sponsored dependent). You can obtain authorization to visit your sponsor and travel Space-A as a Cat 5, but you have the same restrictions as an unaccompanied EML traveler. Here is a sample of the non-command sponsored dependent memo you need for travel.

The travel memos for EML and non-command sponsored dependents are good for 90 days or one round trip.

Want more details on this unaccompanied dependent travel stuff? Here’s the breakdown with a few examples.

How Do I Get Started Planning a Space-A Trip?

The first thing to do is to figure out which bases near you have flights that could get you to your destination. In some cases, there are many possible paths you could take. For example, if you are on the East Coast and want to travel to Germany, you could fly from one of five or six bases that have regular missions into Ramstein Air Base.

On the other hand, not all military airfields are active Space-A hubs, so you will have to do some research to figure where you could originate your travel. If you don’t know which bases near you have Space-A flights, you can start by looking at this list of locations worldwide that may have Space-A opportunities.

After you’ve found the bases closest to you, begin studying their flight schedules, which most passenger terminals post on slides via their respective Facebook pages. You can find a list of passenger terminal Facebook pages on the AMC website .

In most cases, terminals post flight schedules a maximum of 72 hours in advance. Exceptions include certain Naval bases, which may share a week’s worth of missions, and schedules for Patriot Express flights . Terminals that have Patriot Express flights post schedules for an entire calendar month. The schedule is usually available a few days before the end of the month for the following month (for example, the April schedule will be available in the last few days of March).

What Do the Facebook Slides Tell Me?

From the slides, you can see where the flights are going, what time passengers must be there (Roll Call), and how many seats may be available for Space-A passengers.

Passenger terminals also post historical slides showing recent departures and how many Space-A passengers got seats. Reviewing the history of flights in and out of a particular base and comparing how many passengers tried to get on vs. how many got seats is useful right before you are hoping to catch a flight. It will give you an idea of whether there is a backlog of folks waiting to depart or whether most passengers have cleared out of the terminal. Here is more detailed information about how to read Space-A flight schedules on Facebook .

Tired of piecing together information about space-available military travel? Check out this ultimate guide to Space-A and get it all in one convenient spot! 

You may have to watch the schedules for several weeks or even months to get an idea of where missions fly most frequently and how likely a Space-A passenger in your category would be to get a seat.

If you’re having trouble piecing together a flight plan that could get you to your destination, you can also ask for advice in the Space-A Travelers Facebook group . To join this group, you will need to verify your military affiliation and agree to read the background information in the pinned post. Before asking a question, try searching for the topic in the discussion. With more than 62K members, there are few questions that no one has asked.

Space-A Signup

Now that you have an idea of what bases you might want to fly to and from, it’s time to sign up.

Signup refers to the process of notifying passenger terminals that you would like to fly Space-A from their location. There are several ways to sign up:

  • In person at the terminal
  • Via e-mail or fax
  • Using the Take-a-Hop app, which has a one-time fee of $6.99.

You don’t have to use the official Space-Available Travel Request form, but this sample shows what information you need to provide. Be sure that when you specify the number of seats required, you include all members of your family, including babies. Space-A flights do not have a “lap child” policy.

When Can I Sign Up?

Priority within a category is based on signup date and time, so the earlier you sign up, the better.

Signup rules vary by circumstance.

  • Active duty service members (Cat 3) can sign up starting on the first day of leave. The signup is good for the duration of the leave period.
  • Spouses of deployed service members can sign up 10 days before the first day of the deployment. The signup is good for 60 days.
  • Unaccompanied Spouses in other situations discussed above can sign up as soon as they have the required memo. Signups are good for 60 days.

At Which Bases Should I Sign Up?

No matter what category you’re in, you should sign up at every base you may want to depart from.

You can sign up at as many bases as you want. If you’re signing up via e-mail, you can send a single message and copy every terminal at which you want to sign up. Many terminals will not reply to confirm receipt of your signup. Be sure to bring a copy of your signup when you go to the terminal to mark yourself present for the flight.

What to Do on the Day of Your Flight

You see a flight you want to take, and you’re ready to give this Space-A thing a shot. Now what? Here’s a rundown of the actual travel process.

Marking Yourself Present

This means going to the terminal in person to let them know you are “competing” for a flight. You can mark yourself present up to 24 hours in advance of the Roll Call time, but you don’t really need to do it until an hour or two beforehand. Marking yourself present early does not give you higher priority than other passengers, but you must do it prior to the start of Roll Call.

When you mark yourself present, bring all of your travel documentation, including any required travel memos and a copy of your signup e-mail to prove the date and time of signup. Confirm that the passenger terminal has recorded the correct number of passengers traveling.

This is the time listed on the Facebook slides, and it refers to the passenger terminal staff calling the names of the passengers selected for a flight. They will start with the highest category and work their way down.

Tired of piecing together information about space-available military travel? Check out this ultimate guide to Space-A and get it all in one convenient spot! 

If they call your name, go to the desk with your family members’ military IDs, passports (if headed for an OCONUS destination), and appropriate travel authorization memo, and confirm that all passengers are in the terminal with bags packed.

Baggage Check/Getting Manifested

When it’s time to check bags, all travelers in your family and all of your luggage must be present. On most flights, each passenger can check two bags of up to 70 lbs each. You can also check car seats, which do not count towards your baggage allowance. On some smaller aircraft, weight limits may be as low as 30 lbs. The Air Mobility Command website has detailed information on baggage allowances.

During baggage check, you can request a meal, (if meals are available — usually a box lunch with sandwich, chips, cookie, and drink), which costs $5-$10, depending on the location. Once you’ve checked your bags and have your boarding passes, you are “manifested” on the flight. The terminal staff will tell you the estimated boarding time, but it often changes without notice, so stay in the terminal.

Once they announce boarding, all passengers go through security. Military passenger terminals follow Transportation Security Administration regulations, so you have the same restrictions for carry-on items as on civilian planes. You sit in a secure area of the terminal until the bus arrives to take you to the aircraft. You board the plane from the tarmac.

What to Expect on the Flight

Patriot Express flights are very similar to civilian flights. They have regular airplane seats and in-flight service.

how to travel space a

For all military aircraft, two tips apply:

  • Dress in layers . It can be very cold or very warm, depending on the type of aircraft, where you’re sitting, and pilot preference. I see many passengers (especially children) wearing shorts, but I don’t recommend it unless you have a pair of sweatpants handy.
  • Bring hand wipes. The lavatory sinks generally don’t have running water. Instead, there is a pile of antiseptic wipes, but often not enough to last for the entire flight.

Tips for Traveling with Kids

All passengers over the age of 10 need a military ID. If you have children under 10, bring their passport or a printout from Milconnect that shows their military ID number. This second requirement was implemented in 2017, and some travelers may tell you that the passenger terminal didn’t ask for it, that a birth certificate was fine, etc. While that may be true, it’s best to cover your bases and bring the printout.

As with any travel with kids, bring plenty of activities to keep them entertained. It can be hard to predict how much time you will spend waiting in the terminal, so be prepared with movies downloaded to your tablet, cards, books, and other travel-friendly games.

You should also bring a stash of snacks. Even if you ordered a box meal, you won’t get it until you’re onboard, and you don’t want to be stuck in the terminal with hungry kiddos. The snack bars in the terminal have a way of being under construction the one time you didn’t plan ahead with snacks of your own.

Ear protection in the form of headphones – or even earmuffs – is a good idea. The flight crew will give you foam earplugs, but they may not be comfortable or suitable for young children.

Free Flights Sound Too Good to Be True. What’s the Catch?

The main challenge with Space-A travel is that it’s unpredictable. Missions can change at any moment. The pilot can decide to leave early or not to take any Space-A passengers. Or the aircraft’s destination can change after you’re already in the air.

Add these considerations to the fact that aircraft (some types more than others) often have maintenance issues that can cause a flight to be delayed by a few hours or several days. Unlike with a commercial flight, if any of these things happen, you have no recourse as a Space-A passenger. There is no such thing as being rebooked on a later flight. If you don’t get on the flight you wanted, you might not have any other Space-A options in the foreseeable future.

All these warnings are to say that Space-A is not a good choice when you have a short period of leave or when you really need to be somewhere by a certain time, whether that’s for a wedding, a holiday, a family emergency, or a work commitment back home.

Final Advice

You can increase your chances of getting a seat on a Space-A flight by traveling outside of the busiest seasons. The most difficult times to fly Space-A are during the summer PCS season and the winter holidays.

Think of Space-A travel as an adventure. Along the way, you will meet other travelers who will remind you how helpful and supportive the military community can be. You may also have the chance to fly in a military plane, which is not something most Americans get to experience, and honestly, it’s pretty cool. If you think of your journey in this way, you will be better-prepared to handle any parts of the process that don’t go as planned.

Even if you’ve read the above information three times, you might still have questions. The best thing to do is to keep reading as much as you can about flying Space-A. Join the Space-A Travelers Facebook group and follow the discussions. I guarantee that many of the questions asked by other group members will apply to you, and after a while, you will find that you know the answers!

Keep following the Facebook slides to get a feel for where flights are going and how many Space-A travelers are getting seats. You may start to see patterns, either weekly or seasonally.

Finally, before you plan a major family vacation using Space-A, consider doing a dry run. Try a short trip within CONUS to help you learn the process. That way, you will know the ropes and feel more comfortable planning a bigger adventure.

Want more on military life?

  • 9 Hidden Ways to Save Money at the Commissary and PX
  • 10 Things a Military Spouse Should Have in her Car at All Times
  • Military Base Gate Etiquette: 10 Small Ways to Avoid a Giant SNAFU
  • 7 Myths About Tricare for Military Families…Debunked

how to travel space a

About Stephanie Montague

Stephanie Montague is the founder of Poppin’ Smoke (www.poppinsmoke.com), a website designed to help members of the military community use their military benefits to travel. Stephanie and her husband have been traveling the world since he retired from the Army in 2015. Through Poppin’ Smoke, Stephanie shares everything she and her husband learn about traveling Space-A, using military benefits and facilities while abroad, and getting the most out of travel experiences.

Reader Interactions

how to travel space a

I’m interested in traveling. Where and who do I email?

All military Space-Available Facebook Pages have contact information. The email, and telephone numbers are listed.

The DOD, Congress and the Veterans Affairs Committee should amend the bill to allow full worldwide travel eligibility for 100% Disabled Veterans on military space available flights to all destinations.

Amendment which would allow for full privilege of travel worldwide would be of no additional cost to the DOD. I do believe the USA government should grant the full privilege of worldwide travel on Space A flights to this small group of Veterans.

The sacrifices the men and women have made should never go unnoticed. The men and women who served our country, and returned home injured, have already paid a big price on our behalf. If there is any space available for travel on a military aircraft to worldwide locations, there is no logical reason whatsoever why our 100 percent disabled military veterans should not be eligible to be on those flights.

How do you get off base once you arrive at your destination?

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The space just above our planet is booming . Off-world trips are rapidly increasing: 42 of the 51 commercial astronauts recognized by the Federal Aviation Administration left Earth within the past two years.

The FAA predicts their ranks will balloon in the next decade — which may also bring new destinations, such as a rotating space hotel whose construction, planners claim, will begin in 2026 — and some experts have expressed optimism that relatively affordable space travel could be possible by the middle of this century.

For now, though, costs remain enormous. A $450,000 ticket reserves a spot on Virgin Galactic’s space plane, which flies 50 miles above Earth — six times a passenger plane’s cruising altitude. Expect to pay even more to go higher. Blue Origin’s 11-minute journey by rocket, which reportedly cost more than $1 million, shoots above the 62-miles-high Kármán line, the generally agreed-upon boundary between Earth and space. Others spend days in space. In September 2021, four civilian Americans orbited for three days aboard a SpaceX Dragon capsule. No word on how much it cost them.

For $55 million , Axiom Space will send astronauts via a SpaceX rocket to the International Space Station, a laboratory that circles Earth once every 90 minutes. For two weeks last April, the ISS’s first Axiom crew members worked in the lab while forgoing proper showers.

The New Space Age

Space “ought to be on everybody’s bucket list,” said former NASA astronaut Michael López-Alegría , the Axiom Space vice president who commanded the April mission. “We’d be the first to admit that it’s not quite democratic yet, because it’s still pretty expensive, but we’ll get there.” The Houston-based company has already begun to build a segment of what will be a private space station.

Here’s how to pack and prep for Earth’s hottest new destination.

Getting ready

Training takes days to months. Axiom Space crew members spent at least 700 hours learning new tasks: how to run experiments, dock a transport vehicle to the ISS and respond to fires.

They also practiced on a centrifuge, the rapidly spinning machine that simulates the extreme acceleration of space travel. You don’t need to be in tiptop shape — floating in microgravity is effortless, López-Alegría said — but you will have to endure intense G-force as you exit and reenter the atmosphere.

You should be mentally prepared for a unique psychological experience called the overview effect , which occurs when people witness their home planet from above. “When we came back to Earth, I could not stop crying,” said aerospace PhD student Sara Sabry, founder of the Deep Space Initiative , who traveled to space last August via Blue Origin (whose founder, Jeff Bezos, owns The Washington Post).

Aboard SpaceX, you’ll wear spacesuits: sleek, pressurized white outfits with black-visored helmets. On Virgin Galactic and Blue Origin flights, the fit is closer to a jet pilot’s, with gear that’s not designed for loss of pressure. Sabry said her suit was comfy and custom-tailored. Under Armour makes the clothes — underwear, jumpsuit and zip-up boots — for Virgin Galactic, which founder Richard Branson wore in his July 2021 journey to space’s edge.

Going boldly, packing lightly

Space may be the one place you can fly without packing an ID or passport . “When we walk onto the vehicle, we’re wearing our spacesuits and pretty much nothing else,” López-Alegría said.

Expect to leave the rest of your worldly possessions on Earth, with a few exceptions. Sabry packed three pounds of mementos in a bag, including photographs and a single dirty sock belonging to her niece. On Inspiration4, the Earth-orbiting SpaceX mission, one astronaut brought his ukulele to serenade his teammates in the capsule.

Snapping selfies

Don’t plan on filling your Instagram feed with your space travels to make your friends jealous. You won’t have your phone.

On Sabry’s Blue Origin flight, a few people had a GoPro strapped to their wrists to capture video — especially of the three minutes of weightlessness.

The ISS provides cameras to use. Astronauts can browse the internet on the space station, but posting requires help. Pictures snapped in space are beamed to Earth, López-Alegría said, where someone on the ground uploads them to social media.

Eating and drinking

There wasn’t any snacking on the Blue Origin craft, Sabry said, and the up-and-down trips don’t leave time for in-flight meals. Hot food isn’t always an option with other carriers, either. The first course served on the orbiting Dragon capsule was cold pizza, though SpaceX founder Elon Musk apologized for the unheated pie and promised future astronauts would have a food warmer.

Why NASA and other space agencies want to return to the moon

That’s how the crew heats dinner on the ISS, which boasts a varied menu: about 200 options , mostly freeze-dried or thermostabilized. Tortillas replace bread to avoid crumbs; what’s just a tabletop mess on Earth becomes a hazard when bits can float into electronics or eyeballs. There’s no soda or beer because, according to NASA, carbonation bubbles would be unpleasantly routed through the digestive system without gravity to help an astronaut burp.

Staying clean-ish

Space is like backcountry camping. Both lack laundry machines and require some hygienic compromises. When astronauts must bathe, they squeeze packets of soap and water on their skin and apply rinseless shampoo to their hair. Toilets on the ISS and Dragon Capsule collect waste via suction hoses and fans. On the space station, urine is recycled into drinkable water . Toothbrushes and paste are the same, but without sinks, there’s no spitting.

Falling asleep

You’ll roll out sleeping bags in the SpaceX spacecraft or as an Axiom crew member on the ISS. Vehicles are temperature-regulated because the outside of the ISS can swing from minus-250 in the shadows to 250 degrees in the sun. Still, some modules, or sections, of the ISS can be chillier than others: López-Alegría said he donned long underwear to be cozier when drifting off in space.

Illustrations by Elizabeth von Oehsen. Editing by Amanda Finnegan.

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10 Things: Going Interstellar

Illustration of a galaxy with a bright center and curved spiral arms.

Humanity’s great leap into interstellar space – the space between the stars – is underway. NASA's Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 probes are both in interstellar space.

For the moment, sending humans to the edge of interstellar space, let alone across the cosmic void to other stars, remains firmly in the realm of science fiction. But scientists and engineers are developing skills and technologies that might help us get there one day.

Here are 10 things we’ve learned about going interstellar.

1. The Space Between

Interstellar space is often called the space between the stars, but more specifically, it’s the region between our Sun’s heliosphere and the astrospheres of other stars.

Our heliosphere is a vast bubble of plasma – a gas of charged particles – that spews out of the Sun. This outflow is known as the solar wind. The bubble surrounds the Sun and stretches beyond the planets. Both Voyager spacecraft had to travel more than 11 billion miles (17 billion kilometers) from the Sun in order to cross the edge of the heliosphere. This bubble is moving through interstellar space as the Sun orbits the center of the Milky Way galaxy. As our heliosphere plows through space, it creates a bow wave, like the wave formed by the bow of a ship.

Retro disco poster celebrating Voyager

2. Are we there yet? No. Seriously, this trip is going to take a while.

Since warp drive is still just a fantasy, getting to interstellar space takes a really long time at present. Voyager 1 , the first spacecraft to make it, was about 122 Astronomical Units (Earth is one Astronomical Unit, or AU, from the Sun) – that’s about 11 billion miles (18 billion kilometers) from the Sun – when it exited the heliosphere and entered interstellar space. The spacecraft launched from Florida in 1977 and entered interstellar space in 2012. That’s a 35-year trip. Of course, Voyager 1 didn’t make a beeline for interstellar space – it took the scenic route and toured Jupiter and Saturn first. Voyager 2 , traveling slower than Voyager 1, also toured Uranus and Neptune, and took 41 years to reach interstellar space.

Planets of our solar system appear as distant points of light in this mosaic.

3. What does it look like out there? Where are my interstellar photos?

Sorry, no Voyager selfies. After Voyager 1 took images in 1990 for the "Solar System Family Portrait” that included the famous “ Pale Blue Dot " photo, the cameras were turned off to save power and computer memory for the interstellar mission to come. Additionally, the camera software was removed, and the computers on the ground that understand the software do not exist anymore. The cameras also have been exposed to extreme cold for many years. So, even if mission managers rebuilt the ground computers, reloaded the camera software, and turned the cameras back on, it's not clear they would work.

If it's any consolation, there's not much for the Voyagers to see now except for the stars, and they wouldn't look much different than they did in 1990.

4. Sounds of silence? Not if you know how to listen.

You shouldn't be able to hear anything in interstellar space, because it’s a near-perfect vacuum: There's essentially no medium for the soundwaves to travel though, like air. But Voyager's instruments are much more sensitive than our ears, and the instruments were able to "listen" to other kinds of waves that travel through the interstellar medium. What they heard was music to scientists' ears.

Don Gurnett, the principal investigator for the Plasma Wave Science instrument on Voyager 1, played an audio recording of plasma wave data at a press conference in September 2013. The sounds, he explained, were solid evidence that Voyager 1 had left the heliosphere and was in interstellar space.

Strictly speaking, the plasma wave instrument doesn’t detect sound. It senses waves in the plasma that are generated by eruptions on the Sun, known as coronal mass ejections. These waves influence the interstellar medium, so Voyager can detect them both inside and outside of the heliosphere. The plasma is so diluted that waves traveling through it would be far too weak for our ears to detect. But, because some of those waves fall into the "audio frequency" range, all Gurnett had to do was amplify the sound to make them audible to human ears.

Small object moving against background of stars.

5. Didn’t we have an interstellar visitor?

An intriguing object zipped through our solar system in late 2017. It was on a steep trajectory that told scientists it wasn’t from around here. They determined it was from interstellar space – the first confirmed object from another solar system to visit our solar system.

Scientists named the object ‘Oumuamua , a Hawaiian word meaning "visitor from afar arriving first.”

So what was it? Because 'Oumuamua was the first of its kind and wasn't observed in great detail at close range, researchers found it difficult to draw conclusions . But whatever it was – it was big, it was moving fast, and it was tumbling through space.

'Oumuamua was estimated to be about half a mile (800 meters) long. Astronomers had never seen a natural object with such extreme proportions in the solar system before. It was last detected traveling away from the Sun at about 196,000 mph or 87.3 kilometers per second – on its way back to interstellar space. After January 2018, 'Oumuamua was no longer visible to telescopes, even in space.

Illustrated view of the wake our solar system makes in space.

6. Boldly going where no spacecraft have gone before.

Only two spacecraft have made it to interstellar space. Voyager 1 was the first, in August 2012. Six years later, its twin, Voyager 2, entered interstellar space on Nov. 5, 2018.

The New Horizons probe that explored Pluto and the Kuiper Belt Object named Arrokoth is also headed toward interstellar space, generally in the direction of the constellation Sagittarius.

NASA's Pioneer 10 and Pioneer 11 have both stopped functioning, but they also are coasting into interstellar space as ghost ships. Pioneer 10 is heading toward the red star Aldebaran in the constellation Taurus. Pioneer 11 is traveling toward the center of the galaxy in the direction of Sagittarius.

Rocket launching into space from Florida.

7. Escape Velocity: What it takes to go interstellar.

Hundreds of spacecraft have been launched beyond Earth, so why are only five spaceships headed out of our solar system? Well, most spacecraft aren’t meant to leave the solar system. They’re designed to fly by, orbit, or land on a planet.

To go to interstellar space, a probe needs to be launched into a specific orbit, and by a rocket powerful enough to give it the velocity to break free of the Sun's gravity.

Even using our biggest rockets, some probes need a boost. The Voyagers took advantage of a rare arrangement of the outer planets which occurs about every 176 years. The probes used gravity assists to swing from one planet to the next without needing large propulsion systems. Three of the flybys increased the velocity of the probes enough to deliver them to the next planet, climbing further out of the grip of the Sun's gravity.

8. Cosmic Overachievers: Still exploring after all these years.

Voyager 1 and 2 were launched 16 days apart in 1977. Voyager 2 was launched first, but Voyager 1 was on a faster trajectory. They are the longest continuously operating spacecraft. Between them, they’ve explored all the gas giant planets in our solar system.

While the probes are now in interstellar space, they haven’t truly left the solar system. The boundary of the solar system is considered to be beyond the Oort Cloud, a collection of small objects still under the influence of the Sun. Most comets that visit the inner solar system come from the Oort Cloud. It could take the probes 300 years to reach the inner edge of that region.

Golden record with a cover that includes details about Earth's location in space.

9. OK, the Voyagers have made it to interstellar space. What now?

Eventually, the Voyagers will pass other stars. Voyager 1 is escaping the solar system at a speed of about 3.5 AU per year, 35 degrees out of the ecliptic plane to the north, in the general direction of the solar apex (the direction of the Sun's motion relative to nearby stars). Voyager 1 will leave the solar system aiming toward the constellation Ophiuchus. In the year 40,272 CE (more than 38,200 years from now), Voyager 1 will come within 1.7 light-years of an obscure star now in the constellation Ursa Minor (the Little Bear or Little Dipper) called Gliese 445.

Voyager 2 is escaping the solar system at a speed of about 3.1 AU per year toward the constellations of Sagittarius and Pavo. In about 40,000 years, Voyager 2 will come within about 1.7 light-years of a star called Ross 248, a small star now in the constellation of Andromeda.

After that, the Voyagers are destined to orbit in the Milky Way as silent ambassadors from Earth – perhaps forever. Each spacecraft carries a Golden Record of Earth sounds, pictures, and messages.

10. Beyond the Voyagers: Next steps for exploring interstellar space

There are no current NASA plans to send new spacecraft to interstellar space, but researchers are exploring a variety of ideas and concepts for what might be possible and scientifically valuable. There are, however, two NASA satellites designed to study interstellar space from relatively close to Earth.

The Interstellar Boundary Explorer (IBEX) is a small satellite already orbiting Earth. IBEX has special instruments gathering data to create the first map of the boundary of interstellar space.

NASA is preparing to launch the Interstellar Mapping and Acceleration Probe (IMAP) in 2025. The spacecraft will be positioned about 1 million miles (1.6 million kilometers) away from Earth toward the Sun, at what is called the first Lagrange point or L1. It will help researchers better understand the boundary of the heliosphere.

Related Terms

  • The Solar System
  • The Universe
  • Voyager Program

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Eclipse Citizen Science for Educators

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Contribute to NASA Research on Eclipse Day – and Every Day

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NASA’s Europa Clipper Survives and Thrives in ‘Outer Space’ on Earth

A gantlet of tests prepared the spacecraft for its challenging trip to the Jupiter system, where it will explore the icy moon Europa and its subsurface ocean. In less than six months, NASA is set to launch Europa Clipper on a 1.6-billion-mile (2.6-billion-kilometer) voyage to Jupiter’s ocean moon Europa. From the wild vibrations of the […]

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Tendrils of hot plasma stream from the Sun.

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I will fight for overhead space on a plane, but I shouldn't have to | Cruising Altitude

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I’ll admit it. I will elbow you out of the way to get on the plane 30 seconds sooner and secure overhead bin space. I’m not proud of it, but I'll probably never see you again, and I really don’t want to have to check a bag on most flights.

I’m part of the problem, but I’m not alone. The bag wars just keep heating up. 

“We travel a couple times a year, about four times a year, and we’re noticing that we don’t have any overhead space for our bags. When people are getting on the plane, they’re taking the first (space) available,” Elaine DiCresce, a retiree from Minneapolis, told me. “The last few times, we actually checked our bags at the gate. It’s just frustrating.”

So how did we get here? Why is overhead bin space at such a premium, and what can be done about it? Here’s what I learned.

Who sets carry-on bag rules?

Most flights have a 1 + 1 rule: one carry-on bag that goes in the overhead bin and one personal item that fits under the seat in front in economy and on most domestic flights, but these guidelines are flexible and not totally set in stone.

“The airlines make the rules,” Loulu Lima, founder of the Texas-based travel agency Book Here Give Here , told me. “This is real simple and every airline has a different rule.” 

That is to say, there’s no overarching regulation about what carry-on bags have to be, just that most airlines use similar equipment and set standards more or less the same way.

“Sometimes you’ll hear an agent blame the FAA, but that’s not true,” said Brett Snyder, author of the Cranky Flier blog and owner of the Cranky Concierge travel agency.

But whenever you fly, it’s a good idea to check the details of your carry-on allowance.

Lima said each airline has slightly different dimensions for allowable carry-on bags, and different tickets have different rules. Some basic economy tickets might not allow for overhead bin baggage, and ultra-low-cost carriers like Spirit and Frontier may charge an extra fee for carry-on bags.

What are the best ways to secure overhead bin space?

Unfortunately, there’s no great strategy here. The best way to access a bin on most airlines is to be in an early boarding group, which usually means having a more premium ticket, having frequent flyer status with the airline, holding the right credit card or paying for access.

“I hate to say it, but sometimes I would join a credit card that gets you earlier boarding, or buy that early boarding space. It really depends on the airline,” Lima said. 

How can overhead bin space be less competitive?

First, a brief detour to look at why bin space is so sought after in the first place:

“We initially got there when checked bags were still free, but people were primarily concerned that their checked bag would be lost,” Snyder said, “When (airlines) started charging for checked bags, then it became even more important for people, because people don’t want to pay for it.” 

Lima agreed that passengers mistrusting airlines is a big part of why so many passengers rely solely on carry-ons on their trips.

“We’ve all become control freaks to a certain extent,” she said. “There’s no trust that the bag is actually going to make it. Why do you think the AirTags and the Tiles and all of these other things are so popular these days?” 

Airlines are aware that access to bins is competitive and frequently tout improvements that mean more space for rollaboards. In fact, just on Tuesday, United Airlines announced it was installing larger bins on its Embraer E175 regional jets, operated by Skywest. Regional jets, which typically fly short routes, are notoriously tight on carry-on space.

Beyond physical improvements to overhead bins, airlines can’t do much to help with the competition, though. 

Snyder said they can encourage or require passengers to gate-check their bags but acknowledged that sometimes backfires, especially if they start forcing checks before the overhead bins are really full.

And, of course, airlines can charge for overhead bin access, which is unpopular with passengers, but it does smooth things along at the boarding door.

“You have airlines like Spirit and Frontier, they charge you more to carry-on than to check a bag,” Snyder said. “You don’t see the same kind of mad dash that you see on other airlines to get onboard just so you can claim your bin space.”

Yet, the efficacy of these practices is somewhat limited. 

For DiCresce and her husband, Clifford, they’re left wondering why airlines don’t assign slots in the overhead bin like seats, and to be honest, I think it’s a fair question to which I don’t have an answer.

Expert packing tips

Until new innovations or some sort of sorcery make overhead bin space unlimited, we’re stuck duking it out with fellow passengers for whatever we can get.

Lima said she usually travels with carry-on bags only and that you can minimize the space you need by being strategic about how and what you pack.

“I’ve gone to China and to Finland for three weeks and I’ve had different temperature changes,” she said. “I’m all about rolling and, as a plus-sized woman, my clothes are bigger than most, so if I can do it, everyone else can do it, too.”

For Snyder, the best way to avoid the stress is to just determine not to rely on the bins at all. 

“When you travel without a carry-on bag, it is remarkably freeing. You, all of a sudden, don’t care when you board if you have an assigned seat,” he said.

And I’ve seen for myself that the checked bag system is increasingly reliable. I’ll still fight you for that overhead bin space for now, but I may be coming around to Snyder’s view.

Zach Wichter is a travel reporter for USA TODAY based in New York. You can reach him at [email protected]

SpaceX is poised to make rocket launches 10 times cheaper with Starship, experts say

  • With its recent Starship mission, SpaceX is poised to cut launch costs 10-fold, said an expert 
  • The firm flew its flagship mega-rocket to space without exploding on Thursday for the first time. 
  • Bringing down launch costs is crucial to open up space to industry. 

Insider Today

SpaceX's Starship launch on Thursday didn't only look cool . It may have marked a major turning point for the space industry.

Elon Musk's enormous mega-rocket , which didn't carry a payload or people, did not survive the landing on Thursday. But it did cruise through space and plummet back through Earth's atmosphere before exploding, a watershed moment for SpaceX, 22 years to the day after it was founded.

The rapid progress of the Starship-Super Heavy launch system's development offers high hopes the 400-foot-tall behemoth will be fully functional — and fully reusable — very soon.

The mega-rocket is key to Elon Musk's ambition to bring costs down to about $10 million per launch , a crucial move for those vying to set up their futuristic industries in space like asteroid mining, or space factories.

"With Starship, SpaceX is poised to slash launch costs by an order of magnitude again," Brendan Rosseau, a teaching fellow at Harvard Business School writing a book about the space industry, told Business Insider in an email on Thursday.

Liftoff of Starship! pic.twitter.com/FaNcasuKaq — SpaceX (@SpaceX) March 14, 2024

SpaceX has already shaved launch costs down

Starship-Super Heavy is the biggest launch system ever developed. The Super Heavy booster that hauls Starship up to space can produce twice as much thrust as the rockets that sent Apollo astronauts to the moon.

When fully developed, it should be able to launch as much as 150 metric tonnes to orbit.

That's a lot of cargo. By comparison, SpaceX's workhorse, Falcon 9, carries around 50,000 pounds to low-Earth orbit on each launch.

That offers substantial economies of scale, as more payload could go on each launch.

But it also helps firms put considerably less money into prepping their payload.

"For the history of spaceflight, the way you get your payload onto a rocket is you shrink it. And when you shrink it, you just spend a lot of money to shrink your technology," Abhi Tripathi, director of Mission Operations at the University of California Berkeley's Space Sciences Laboratory, told BI Friday.

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"Starship offers you the ability to reverse that equation. It offers you the ability to use cruder technology. Don't waste time shrinking and miniaturizing your thing, use something off the shelf," he said.

An enormous launcher you could use again and again

SpaceX isn't only betting on the rocket's enormous capacity to shave costs. Its main gamble is making the 400-foot tall mega-rocket fully reusable.

Think about how much a plane ride might cost if the airline had to build a new plane every time. That's how most of the launch industry handles rockets.

Reusability offers huge opportunities to cut the bill. And this isn't a stab in the dark — SpaceX has already proved the business model works with Falcon 9.

The midsize rocket's booster doesn't get discarded. Instead, after each launch, it lands to fly another day. With this technology, SpaceX was able to offer cheap and quick turnaround launches at around $67 million per flight.

That's about $1,500 per pound of payload. By comparison, the Space Shuttle charged about $25,000 per pound up to 2011.

Starship's promise is to fully reuse both stages, indefinitely.

This could change everything.

"They are demonstrating that they are right on track to get to where they want to be in an amazingly short period of time," George Nield, former associate administrator of the FAA's Office of Commercial Space Transportation, told BI.

"This vehicle is so different, and it's so much more capable than anything that anybody has ever tried to do. I think folks are not necessarily appreciating that," said Nield.

A way to go, but the end is near

With these advances, business plans for space industries — like manufacturing products at scale in the vacuum of space or mining rare minerals on asteroids — could gain more traction among backers.

"Those high costs significantly limited the scope of space activities, constraining who could use space, how they used space, and who could benefit," Harvard's Rosseau said.

"Lowering launch costs has always been the first step to unlocking broader, deeper sources of value from space," he said.

SpaceX is poised to plow ahead after Thursday's success. Still, there's work to do before industries can pop their payload on Starship at low cost.

As part of Musk's equation, SpaceX needs Starship and its booster to be fully reusable. This wasn't attempted on Wednesday, and booster and ship were lost on re-entry.

Tripathi predicts they are not too far off, however. He thinks SpaceX could try to deliver Starlink satellites on Starship's next test launch.

For reusability, "I think this test showed they probably have another test or two to go," he said.

"I think the smart people have already been planning as if Starship will be successful. Certainly, the ones that were on the fence may have started to come off the fence as of the test [on Thursday]," Tripathi said.

Watch: What happens when Elon Musk moves markets with a tweet

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How fast will April's total solar eclipse travel?

During the total solar eclipse on April 8, the moon's shadow will slow down and then speed up again.

total solar eclipse with a speedometer graphic in the center

Understanding the moon's shadow

Distance and speed of the moon, why it slows down and speeds up.

When the moon's shadow races across Earth on April 8 during the total solar eclipse, it will travel faster than the speed of sound.

It will sweep across Earth at more than 1,500 miles (2,400 kilometers) per hour on April 8, according to NASA . 

However, exactly how fast it will move will depend on where you are viewing it from. 

Related: Total solar eclipse 2024: Everything you need to know

A solar eclipse occurs on Earth when a new moon blocks at least part of the sun, as seen from Earth. All solar eclipses project a large fuzzy shadow onto Earth called the penumbra. From within it, observers see a partial solar eclipse, watching the moon gradually block some of the sun before gradually moving away. 

Only during a total solar eclipse , when the moon blocks all of the sun , does a smaller, darker conical shadow called the umbra project onto Earth. This is the path of totality, and from within it, observers see partial phases on either side of a total solar eclipse.

As millions of people across the United States experienced a total eclipse as the umbra, or moon’s shadow passed over them, only six people witnessed the umbra from space. Viewing the eclipse from orbit were NASA’s Randy Bresnik, Jack Fischer and Peggy Whitson, ESA (European Space Agency’s) Paolo Nespoli, and Roscosmos’ Commander Fyodor Yurchikhin and Sergey Ryazanskiy. The space station crossed the path of the eclipse three times as it orbited above the continental United States at an altitude of 250 miles.

The width of the umbra (the path of totality) and the penumbra (the partial eclipse zone) depend on the moon's distance from Earth during the eclipse. This also affects the speed at which the shadow moves, as does the rotational speed of the moon and the Earth. The moon is orbiting Earth from west to east, the same way Earth rotates, but the moon moves more quickly. 

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The penumbral and umbral shadows of the moon are projected as a path because Earth rotates under the faster-moving shadow of the moon. So, although the moon's shadow moves across Earth very quickly during an eclipse, it's counteracted by the Earth's rotational speed. 

Although the moon's shadow would move even more quickly across the planet if it weren't rotating, on April 8, that shadow will still move exceptionally fast. However, it won't travel at a consistent speed. 

"The moon's shadow will travel slowest at the point of greatest eclipse near the town of Nazas, Mexico, where the duration is longest and also where the shadow speed is the lowest," said Michael Zeiler, eclipse cartographer at GreatAmericanEclipse.com . "As the shadow progresses across North America, the shadow speed increases because the oblique angle of the shadow on a curved Earth results in a higher ground speed." 

For example, at 11:37 UT on April 8, the event will begin as an eclipsed sunrise in the Pacific Ocean, during which the moon's shadow will be traveling at a whopping 10,439,792 mph (16,801,217 kph), according to eclipse expert Xavier Jubier's Interactive Google Map of the eclipse.

As it ends as an eclipsed sunset in the Atlantic, it will be traveling at 5,535,176 mph (8,908,002 kph). However, close to Nazas, Mexico — the point of the greatest eclipse where the centers of the sun, moon, and Earth are in perfect synergy (alignment) — it will be moving at a pedestrian 1,565 mph (2,519 kph). The shadow will slow down to that point and speed up after, so as the moon's shadow enters the U.S. in Texas, it will speed up slightly to 1,597 mph (2,570 kph). It will then pick up the pace across the U.S. and, as it leaves Newfoundland in Canada for the Atlantic, it will be moving at 4,727 mph (7,607 kph). 

April's total solar eclipse will travel at speeds ranging from 10 million miles an hour — half the speed of the fastest supernova explosion ever detected — to as slow as 1,565 mph, about twice the speed of a supersonic aircraft. Just ensure you're inside the path of totality to stand beneath it! 

Join our Space Forums to keep talking space on the latest missions, night sky and more! And if you have a news tip, correction or comment, let us know at: [email protected].

Jamie Carter

Jamie is an experienced science, technology and travel journalist and stargazer who writes about exploring the night sky, solar and lunar eclipses, moon-gazing, astro-travel, astronomy and space exploration. He is the editor of  WhenIsTheNextEclipse.com  and author of  A Stargazing Program For Beginners , and is a senior contributor at Forbes. His special skill is turning tech-babble into plain English.

NASA is super stoked for the 2024 total solar eclipse and hopes you are, too.

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Astronauts have surprising ability to know how far they 'fly' in space

by York University

Astronauts have surprising ability to know how far they 'fly' in space

New research led by York University finds astronauts have a surprising ability to orient themselves and gauge distance traveled while free from the pull of gravity.

The findings of the study, done in collaboration with the Canadian Space Agency and NASA, have implications for crew safety in space and could potentially give clues to how aging affects people's balance systems here on Earth, says the study's lead Faculty of Health Professor Laurence Harris.

"It has been repeatedly shown that the perception of gravity influences perceptual skill. The most profound way of looking at the influence of gravity is to take it away, which is why we took our research into space," says Harris, an expert on vision and the perception of motion who also heads up the Multisensory Integration Lab and is the former director of the Centre for Vision Research at York.

"We've had a steady presence for close to a quarter century in space, and with space efforts only increasing as we plan to go back to the moon and beyond, answering health-and-safety questions only becomes more important. Based on our findings it seems as though humans are surprisingly able to compensate adequately for the lack of an Earth-normal environment using vision."

Harris and collaborators—who include Lassonde School of Engineering professors Robert Allison and Michael Jenkin and two generations of York postdocs and graduate students Björn Jörges, Nils Bury, Meaghan McManus, and Ambika Bansal—studied a dozen astronauts aboard the International Space Station, which orbits about 400 kilometers from the Earth's surface.

Here, Earth's gravity is approximately canceled out by centrifugal force generated by the orbiting of the station. In the resulting microgravity, the way people move is more like flying, says Harris.

"People have previously anecdotally reported that they felt they were moving faster or further than they really were in space, so this provided some motivation actually to record this," he explains.

The researchers compared the performance of a dozen astronauts—six men and six women—before, during, and after their year-long missions to the space station and found that their sense of how far they traveled remained largely intact.

Space missions are busy endeavors and it took the researchers several days to connect with the astronauts once they arrived at the space station. Harris says that it's possible their research was unable to capture early adaptation that may have occurred in those first few days, and "it's still a good news message because it says that whatever adaptation happens, happens very quickly."

Space missions are not without risk. As the ISS orbits the Earth, it is sometimes hit with small objects that could penetrate the vessel, requiring astronauts to move to safety.

"On a number of occasions during our experiment, the ISS had to perform evasive maneuvers," recalls Harris. "Astronauts need to be able to go to safe places or escape hatches on the ISS quickly and efficiently in an emergency. So, it was very reassuring to find that they were actually able to do this quite precisely."

The study, published recently in npj Microgravity , has been a decade in the making and represents the first of three papers that will emerge from the research investigating the effects of microgravity exposure on different perceptual skills including the estimation of body tilt, traveled distance, and object size.

Harris says research shows exposure to microgravity mimics the aging process on a largely physiological level—wasting of bones and muscles, changes in hormonal functioning, and increased susceptibility to infection—but this paper finds that self-motion is mainly unaffected, suggesting the balance issues that frequently come from old age may not be related to the vestibular system.

"It suggests that the mechanism for the perception of movement in older people should be relatively unaffected and that the issues involved in falling may not be so much in terms of the perception of how far they've moved, but perhaps more to do with how they're able to convert that into a balance reflex."

Journal information: npj Microgravity

Provided by York University

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Who Is Eligible for Space-A Flights?

Airman 1st Class John Virgin, a passenger service agent from the 3rd Aerial Port Squadron, explains Air Mobility Command's Space-A travel options available at Pope Army Airfield to a customer. (Photo: U.S. Air Force)

The following is a partial listing of eligible individuals and their category of travel. In Space A terms, your "category" of travel is your priority. The numerical order of space-available categories indicates who gets to board the plane first. Travelers in lower numbered categories move first.

You are placed in one of these six categories based on a combination of two criteria: your status (for example, active duty member, DoDDS teacher, etc.), and your situation (for example, emergency leave, and ordinary leave, etc.).

Once accepted for movement, a space-available passenger may not be "bumped" by another space-available passenger, regardless of category.

A complete listing of eligible passengers by category is found on the AMC website .

Category I - Emergency leave travel

  • US citizen, DOD Civilian Employees stationed overseas
  • Full-time, paid personnel of the American Red Cross serving with U.S. military overseas
  • Military family members whose sponsors are stationed within the Continental United States (CONUS) and the emergency exists overseas
  • Family members of U.S. citizen civilian DOD employees when both sponsor and dependents are stationed at the same location overseas

Category II - Accompanied Environmental & Morale Leave (EML)

  • Sponsors on EML and accompanied family members.
  • DoD Dependent School (DoDDS) teachers and their accompanied family members in EML status during school year holiday, vacation periods.

Category III - Ordinary Leave, House Hunting TDY

  • Military members on ordinary leave and military patients on convalescent leave. 
  • Military members on permissive temporary duty (TDY) orders for house hunting in conjunction with PCS orders. Military member can be accompanied by one family member
  • Dependents of military members deployed for more than 365 consecutive days
  • Military family members (up to age 23 with a valid ID card) of a military member when accompanied by their sponsor who is in an ordinary leave status between overseas and CONUS

Category IV - Unaccompanied dependents on EML

  • Dependents of military members deployed more than 120 consecutive days
  • Unaccompanied family members (18 years or older) traveling on EML orders. Family members under 18 must be accompanied by an adult family member who is traveling EML
  • DoDDS teachers or family members (accompanied or unaccompanied) in an EML status during summer break

Category V - Permissive TDY, Students, Dependents, Post-Deployment/Mobilization Respite Absence

  • Unaccompanied command-sponsored dependents
  • Students whose sponsor is stationed in Alaska or Hawaii
  • Students enrolled in school INCONUS when the sponsor is stationed overseas
  • Military personnel traveling on permissive TDY orders for other than house hunting

Category VI - Retirees, Dependents, Reservists & Disabled Veterans

  • National Guard/Reserve components/members of the Ready Reserve and members of the Standby Reserve who are on the Active Status List.
  • Retired military members who are issued DD Form 2 and eligible to receive retired or retainer pay & their family members, family members are only eligible if they have an ID card and travel with retired service member.
  • Veterans with a VA rated permanent 100% disability and their dependents. Dependents must be accompanied by the sponsor and travel must be in CONUS or directly between the CONUS and Alaska, Hawaii or U.S. territories
  • Surviving spouses of retirees or of service members who died on active duty or training status. Their dependents may also travel if accompanied by the surviving spouse.

Stay on Top of Your Military Benefits

Military benefits are always changing. Keep up with everything from pay to health care by subscribing to Military.com , and get access to up-to-date pay charts and more with all latest benefits delivered straight to your inbox.

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Final frontier: william shatner wants you on deck in antarctica.

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Exterior of penguins running in Antarctica.

Calling all Trekkies. Captain Kirk needs crew — but not for the USS Enterprise. And instead of Andoria, the destination is sunny Antarctica.

“There are specialists who will be among us on the boat that will be able to explain the mysterious continent,” an eager William Shatner told The Post. The “Star Trek” star, who turns 93 this month, will be just one of 260 passengers on Space2Sea ’s first Antarctica voyage. Astronauts Scott Kelly and Chris Boshuizen will also be on board.

Exterior of the cruise ship.

The 10-night trip, scheduled to set sail Dec. 19, is presented by Future of Space, an organization whose mission is to bridge the divide between Earth and space.

“Space2Sea Antarctica is a curated event destined for one of the last untouched frontiers,” Daniel Fox, Future of Space’s co-founder and “Chief Visionary” told The Post. “We set the stage for like-minded explorers, adventurers and influential leaders in the space and non-space sectors to come together.”

Why the White Continent? Fox says it’s the only place, besides space, humans haven’t really explored. Shatner, host of History’s hit show,“The UnXplained,” agreed. “The whole place is cloaked in mysterioso,” he said.

Posed shot of Bill Shatner.

Plus, there are penguins. Fox has a friend who has been visiting Antarctica for 35 years and believes “with all his heart” that if they live streamed these tuxedoed cuties 24/7 in prisons, the violence levels would drop significantly. And why Captain Kirk?

“Shatner embodies the spirit of discovery, even if he isn’t an explorer-explorer,” said Fox, who met the legend last year at SXSW and started planning the trip shortly after. “He’s inspired generations to boldly go.”

For the ship, Future of Space is chartering a new luxurious expedition vessel that boasts 132 all-veranda ocean-front suites, two custom-built six-person submersibles, and perhaps most importantly, SpaceX’s Starlink Wi-Fi.

Exterior of the ship and the crew.

Because they’re offering so many bells and whistles, in addition to access to A-listers (at least when it comes to the cosmos), Fox said he expects the trip to sell out by summer. Rates include a pre-departure hotel in Buenos Aires, a roundtrip charter flight to the port, all meals (including 24/7 room service and wine), a keepsake parka and complimentary muck boot rentals — a must in a place covered in penguin poo.

While the ship’s cheapest room, the $35,500 (based on double occupancy) veranda suite, is sold out, there are still $37,500 rooms available. They all feature walk-in closets and heated wardrobes. The most expensive suite, a $91,500 two-story oasis with its own glass-enclosed solarium, is also taken (probably by Captain Kirk). But still up for grabs is a penthouse with floor-to-ceiling panoramic views. It’s just $60,500.

Of course, you’re paying a premium to mingle with Captain Kirk and Kelly. According to Fox, “The ship is small and intimate, so our guests will feel like being on a private yacht with them, while at the same respecting their space.”

William Shatner on Antartica Expedition Sea Venture, visiting Half Moon Island, Deception Island, and Elephant Island with icebergs in the water

Like most celebs, Shatner will have an entourage in tow. “I’m bringing my three daughters and a couple of grandchildren,” he said. “They’ve mentioned we’ll have stormy seas from the point of South America to Antarctica, but apparently Christmas week, which is when we’re going, is the quietest.”

“It’s a very established boat that’s done this trip many times with many people, so we’re in the hands of experts.” William Shatner

The cruise will depart from Ushuaia, and the itinerary includes a total of three sea days.

The rest of the time passengers are promised an array of experiences including kayaking and cruising around in a Zodiac. The ship’s 24-person expedition crew will also host “seaside chats.”

Of course, the highlight of the trip will be the landings. Scheduled stops (everything is dependent on weather in Antarctica) include these hot spots: Half Moon Island, Deception Island, and Elephant Island where Ernest Shackleton’s crew were stranded for 128 days. Shatner, who did his homework, isn’t too worried about being on the next Endurance or Titanic, though: “It’s a very established boat that’s done this trip many times with many people, so we’re in the hands of experts.”

And if you have a hankering to see Endurance — which sank in 1915 but was finally found in 2022 — try to convince the crew to take you down in one of the ship’s submersibles.

Unfortunately, those excursions aren’t included in the rate. Fortunately, the submersibles weren’t designed by Stockton Rush.

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Exterior of the cruise ship.

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  1. AMC Space Available Travel Page

    Reminder to Space-A travelers: Keep in mind there is no guarantee you will be selected for a seat. Space-A travelers must be prepared to cover commercial travel expenses if flight schedules are changed or become unavailable to allow Space-A travel (Per DODI 4515.13, Section 4, Paragraph 4.1.a).

  2. Space-A Travel Guide

    These eligible passengers can "hop" on the flights on a space-available (Space-A) basis. This is where the term "military hop" comes from. Because these are military, not commercial, flights, the military mission is always the priority. You may fly on a commercial plane, but you could also be in a cargo plane or fuel tanker.

  3. Space-A Travel for Military Families

    Benefit overview. Service members and their families can use Space-A flights - formally known as Military Airlift Command or MAC flights - to travel around the country and world at a reduced cost or for free. Though sometimes unpredictable, military flights are perfect for families with flexible plans and limited travel budgets.

  4. Quickstart Guide to Military Space-A Flights

    Space available flights, a.k.a "MAC flights" or "military hops," are military operational flights that have extra seats. The military mission is the priority, and the Space-A passengers are essentially cargo. There is no charge to fly Space-A except on Patriot Express (PE) flights, for which Space-A passengers must pay a small per ...

  5. Space-A Flights: Tips & Tricks for Military Travel

    Other Space-A flights will be on large — and loud — military cargo planes, complete with five-point harnesses for passengers during lift-off and landing. Patriot Express flights also charge a $20-35 fee per passenger, so plan accordingly. Bring supplies for a comfortable flight. Consider taking a small sleeping bag, pillow, blankets and ...

  6. Space A Travel: Everything You Need To Know

    Space-A is being able to travel on DOD aircraft for free or at a limited cost. The flights you take are on a space-available basis, and the number of passengers they take will depend on the flight. Space-A can get you to many different places worldwide, but some locations are more challenging to fly to than others.

  7. PDF Space-Available Travel Handbook Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ's

    Answer: To travel space available and depending on your status, you must have in your possession the following items, a valid Department of Defense issued Identification card, travel authorizations (orders), for example, leave form, unaccompanied dependent memorandum, EML orders, DD Form 1853, or emergency orders. ...

  8. Space-A Basics

    The Space-Available travel program is a travel benefit that allows authorized passengers to occupy DoD aircraft seats that are surplus after all space-required passengers and cargo have been accommodated. Space-A travel is allowed on a non-mission interference basis only. Space-available travel is a privilege (not an entitlement) available to ...

  9. Space Available Flight: An Overview

    Space Available Flight, better known as Space A or military hops, is a unique privilege provided to servicemembers, retirees and their families. Under the Space-Available (Space A) program ...

  10. Space-A Travel FAQ

    As a Space A traveler, you may check two pieces of luggage at 70 pounds each per person. Family members traveling together may pool their baggage allowance as long as the total does not exceed the ...

  11. The Space-A Guide For Beginners

    Space-A refers to the practice of traveling when a military flight has unused or unassigned seats aboard: think extra seats available when flying a tank from location A to location B. For free. Yes- I just said free… mostly. Sometimes there is an $8.00 surcharge if you are flying overseas, but other than that, free.

  12. Space-A Flights: 7 Things You Need to Know

    Additionally, there are other obstacles you may face, such as your travel eligibility and seat priority. I have compiled a list of 7 things you need to know about Space-A Flights to demystify the process and get you traveling on a budget. #1. Process. The process for applying for Space-A flights is pretty simple, but there are a few things that ...

  13. The Ultimate Guide to Space-Available Military Travel

    Space-A travel is a privilege available to members of the community that allows us to fly free (or nearly free) on military aircraft. As Space-A passengers, we are essentially hitching a ride (or "taking a hop," as flying Space-A is often called) on a flight that is deemed a military mission. After all equipment and personnel required for ...

  14. Space A-Frequently Asked Questions

    Frequently Asked Questions To assist with your traveling, here is a list of frequently asked questions accompanied by the answer. Question 1: Is Space A travel a reasonable substitute for travel other than on a commercial airline? Answer 1: The answer depends on you!If your travel schedule is flexible and your finances permit for a stay (sometimes in a "high-cost" area), while awaiting ...

  15. Space-A: How to hop

    Blaylock said if service members are interested in traveling Space-A soon, the best way to get started is by coming to the terminal or calling to get information. The Passenger terminal is located at 407 S. Frank Luke Dr. and can be contacted by phone at 210-925-8715/8714 Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.

  16. Space Available Flight: How to Register

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  17. How to Fly Space Available

    Especially for 11th EN BN: Learn how to fly space available / how to fly space-a! There are free or nearly flee flights to be taken advantage of with the mil...

  18. Space-Available Travel For Service Members

    Benefit Highlights. Space-A Travel is a privilege (not an entitlement) that is afforded to Uniformed Services members, retirees and dependents as an avenue of respite from the rigors of Uniformed Services duty and may offer substantial savings for your leisure travel plans. Remember there is no guaranteed space for any traveler.

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  27. Who Is Eligible for Space-A Flights?

    In Space A terms, your "category" of travel is your priority. The numerical order of space-available categories indicates who gets to board the plane first. Travelers in lower numbered categories ...

  28. William Shatner joins crew of Space2Sea Antarctica cruise

    The 10-night trip, scheduled for Dec. 19, is presented by Future of Space, an organization whose mission is to bridge the gap between Earth and space.